Canvas
by Swiftwidget
Summary: Part 1 of the "I Am..." series. It wasn't the cold or the bright light bleeding through his eyelids that finally woke Toshinori. It was the smell. Sickly and sterile and metallic with an undercurrent of latex. He could never forget the smell of a hospital. He was on his knees, hunched forward and chained to the wall. All for One chuckled, "I will remake you. Noumu."
1. Speak of the Devil

I do not own BNHA or its characters.

Enjoy Chapter One of "Canvas"

Cowritten and proofread by aoimikans on Tumblr.

* * *

 **Speak of the Devil...**

Rain slapped against the kitchen window as outside it fell in sheets. The white noise of rain mixed with the low drone of the television on the counter.

Toshinori stared down at his tea, steaming and untouched, hands folded together under his chin. His brows furrowed and lips pressed in a grim line.

"When?" he asked.

"Last night," Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi said flatly. He took a slow sip of his coffee then roughly pinched the bridge of his nose. Dark bags under his eyes and day old wrinkles in his shirt spoke to his exhaustion as much as his frustrated sigh, "Sometime between 3AM and 5AM. All surveillance cuts out at 3:02AM. It's a real security failure. I'm certain quite a few heads will roll once this gets out. If they don't resign first," he tacked on with a grunt.

Toshinori hummed darkly.

"How was it not discovered earlier?"

Naomasa shrugged helplessly, throwing up his hands in exasperation.

"It's the highest security ward in the country. The only option is having someone working on the inside. Internal affairs is looking into it now, though I imagine they'll be trumped by national security agents. They'll likely want to make a show of force to ease the public mindset," Naomasa set his coffee mug on the counter with a soft _clack_ and walked to the couch. With a groan he sat beside Toshinori, "I'm sorry."

Toshinori nodded. The knot in the scarred remains of his gut tightened and his right arm ached, the injuries All for One had inflicted on him in his last battle still fresh. His grip on his fingers tightened.

"What do you think he will do?" the detective asked.

Toshinori forced himself to relax and sit back against the couch. His breath leaving him in a quiet rush.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Somehow I doubt he will return to the open just yet. Both of us were crippled in the Kamino Ward," Toshinori flexed his right hand, broken and scarred. It twitched in response but did little else. He let it drop into his lap. "He will want to return to his haunts in the shadows, to his student. Perhaps allow for the public unease to grow once news of his escape is released. Beyond that, I'm as blind as you."

Naomasa clapped a hand on Toshinori's good shoulder and squeezed.

Toshinori nodded and sighed. His wounded pride raging in his chest. This was a complete loss.

"What now?" Toshinori asked the quiet of the house.

"We notify the school. Prepare for the shitstorm," Noamasa replied. "Then we try again."

Toshinori curled his good hand into a fist. He had already given his all at the Kamino Ward … He couldn't even buff up to his hero form anymore. There was not another fight left in him.

"Yeah," Toshinori sighed. He reached out and took his cup of tea in hand.

It had gone cold.

* * *

"Let me give you a ride back to U.A." Naomasa offered, leaning against the hallway wall.

Toshinori waved off the offer casually.

"You need sleep. You look like death," he remarked.

"Said pot to kettle," Naomasa quipped, crossing his arms stubbornly, the effect ruined by his gaping yawn.

Toshinori scoffed and smiled lightly as he shrugged on his long coat.

"It's alright," he said, "I can manage. I've called for a car."

Naomasa nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Say hi to your students for me," Naomasa grinned cheekily, "That book I gave you any help?"

"Shut it," Toshinori grumbled, shaking his umbrella loose.

"You've read it, then?" Naomasa's tired grin widened.

Toshinori sent him an ineffective scowl while his old friend laughed.

"Good night, Naomasa," he huffed, pulling the door open.

"Night," Naomasa called as Toshinori closed the door behind him.

Toshinori huddled under his wide umbrella as he shuffled to the curb, regretting his choice of shoes as he stepped into a puddle, the water slopping up and soaking into his socks.

Headlights cut through the rain as the U.A. car pulled up to the curb. Toshinori yanked the back door open, cursing when the wind nearly tugged his umbrella from his hand and the rain soaked his hair and shoulders. He dropped into the backseat, shaking the rain off the umbrella before pulling it in and laying it at his feet.

"Thanks for picking me up, Hibiki," Toshinori called to his usual driver as he shut the door and slid over, "I know it was short notice."

"No problem at all," Hibiki replied as he pulled away from the curb.

Toshinori sighed as he attempted to brush the remaining rain drops from his coat.

"Something bothering you tonight?" Hibiki asked.

"Ah," Toshinori moved to fluffing his soaking wet hair, only glancing up briefly. In the dark of the cab, he couldn't see his driver very well, "It's the rain. Makes my joints ache. Just getting old."

"You aren't that old," Hibiki said, a grin in his voice.

Toshinori chuckled warmly, "My students say the same. They're good kids."

They turned out of the residential neighborhood and onto busier streets.

The night seemed quiet. A troubled frown tugged at the corners of Toshinori's mouth. All for One was out there, threatening the peace he could no longer protect.

 _Pathetic…_ the thought rose from the back of his mind. He ran a hand down his face, suddenly feeling weary to his bones. He watched as they passed the first streetlight, the falling rain lit up around it like ropes of silver.

"Still working on those impressions of yours, Hibiki?" Toshinori asked absently, settling back in his seat.

The driver hummed as if in thought, "You could say that."

There was an odd lilt in his voice. Toshinori looked up curiously.

They passed under another streetlight.

Toshinori's blood ran cold.

"Ah," the driver smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. He had no eyes. Only scar tissue. "I've been found out. I suppose impersonations can't fool the _former Symbol of Peace_."

"SHIT!" Toshinori reached instinctively for One for All -

The world went dark and silent.

* * *

It wasn't the cold or the bright light bleeding through his eyelids that finally woke Toshinori. It was the smell. Sickly and sterile and metallic with an undercurrent of latex. He could never forget the smell of a hospital.

Toshinori was on his knees, hunched forward and held up by the tension in his arms. He hissed as he pulled himself up. Sharp pains shot through his shoulders and down his spine, his back and shoulder muscles spasming as they settled back into place.

Something rattled and dragged loud and low. Toshinori looked to his right.

Chains. He was shackled and chained to the wall.

"Shit…" Toshinori ground out, giving the heavy chain an experimental tug. His range of movement stopped just in front of his chest. The shackle dug into his wrist; the skin underneath was already red and itching. He was surprised it wasn't rubbed raw yet.

He let his hand fall and shivered. His coat and shoes were gone, along with their familiar warmth, and his hair still slightly damp and chilled at the roots from the rain. He couldn't have been here long.

A pinched ache pulled his attention left. His left arm was held out, shackled to a much shorter chain that hung from the wall. By his left hand, almost close enough to touch, a stationary IV pole stood. Toshinori's gaze followed the clear tube from the hanging bag down to… he twisted his left hand. The IV tube ended at the back of his hand. That explained the ache. His heart hammered a little harder against his ribcage, pumping the clear, cool intravenous drip through his veins.

Toshinori looked away and leaned back, his head gently bumping against the cold wall behind him. He took a steadying breath.

 _Okay. This is happening. I can handle this._

He jumped in surprise when the door opposite him opened.

Toshinori didn't know what he might have suspected, but a nurse in full scrubs and a clipboard was not it. He watched her as she scanned the clipboard, eyes half-lidded in boredom.

"Ma'am?" he blurted, blinking in confusion and his voice cracking incredulously.

The nurse glanced up at him, then back to her clipboard as if nothing was amiss. She laid the clipboard on the small counter by the door and approached him. She waved her hand and made a fist.

Toshinori grunted as the slack in the chains leapt up and coiled around his right arm, pulling it back and taut against the wall.

 _I see,_ Toshinori thought grimly, watching the nurse from behind his bangs as his back was forced flat against the wall. He tensed when he spotted the scalpel. "Hey!"

The nurse nicked the inside of his forearm and pressed the sides of the cut, blood beading along the short line. She watched it carefully, for what Toshinori didn't -

His focus on the cut intensified. It didn't … The sting had already faded. He watched with mild horror as the blood receded back into his skin. The skin around the cut itched and slowly knit itself back together leaving only a faint white line.

"Accelerated Healing Quirk has assimilated smoothly," the nurse stated as she straightened and examined the IV bag, the bored look on her face never changing.

"Your bedside manner could use some work, Ma'am," Toshinori said with a challenging grin. His voice lowered and boisterous - albeit raspy - like his hero persona. Old habits die hard.

The nurse glanced at him briefly but said nothing. She returned to the counter by the door, jotting something down on her clipboard before retrieving something from a small basket.

Toshinori grimaced as his abdomen clenched. He didn't have to see what she was doing. He recognized the sounds of the syringe being freed from its packaging, the pop of a vial being opened, the click of the needle cap being pulled away.

The nurse finally turned enough for him to see her tapping the syringe, the needle still inside the vial filled with something dark and red.

"I'm up to date on all my vaccinations," Toshinori said with a strained smile, his mouth practically running itself. His smile twitched as she approached, "And I've already made an appointment to get a flu shot, so that really isn't necessary."

The nurse paused, IV bag in one hand and syringe in the other. She gave him a thoughtful look.

"Do you ever shut up?" she asked flatly.

Toshinori blinked and tried not to look like he had been slapped.

The nurse pressed the needle through the IV bag port, dark red rushing in and tainting the clear solution as she pressed the plunger with practiced efficiency. She pulled out the needle, twisting the IV bag to watch the red tint the solution evenly before sealing the port and returning to the counter.

"I'd hate to be one of your usual patients," Toshinori said lamely, but his focus was drawn to the bag. The red solution - _Blood,_ Toshinori thought with a detached certainty, _it's his blood._ \- dripped slowly from the bag to the tube, gravity and his own heart pulling the taint closer to his hand. He fought the urge to reach for One for All, to touch the void that once held that flame. He fought the urge to struggle, to yank at the chains he knew he could not break, to flail and fight and lose in front of the callous woman observing him.

Instead, he waited and watched as the tainted blood of All for One slunk into his veins with an anticlimactic finality. He hadn't even noticed the nurse leaving or the chains going slack.

* * *

For a while, nothing happened. Toshinori wasn't sure how much time passed. There were no windows and no clock, only the steady drip of the IV.

It started out as an itch.

Toshinori rubbed his back against the wall, frowning when the prickling itch only spread down his spine and up his neck. He let out a frustrated sigh and reached his hand back, scratching between his shoulders. His hand froze, fingertips brushing against what felt like stubble. Toshinori bent forward and grit his teeth, forcing himself to lay his hand flat against his spine.

The itch shifted to pins and needles tugging at the middle of his back. Thick, bristly hair pushed from his skin, brushing against his scarred palm and fingers. With a quick tug he yanked one from between his shoulder blades and held it in front of his face. It was blond.

" _Shit!_ " Toshinori spat gripping the pale strand in his fist as he bowed forward, eyes squeezed tightly closed. " _Shit. Goddamnit. Fuck!_ "

He curled in on himself, taking slow shaking breaths as the pins and needles sensation faded. The ridge of blond hair rubbed uncomfortably against the inside of his shirt, demanding to be felt, impossible to ignore. Sweat coated his brow. He pressed the heel of his hand between his eyes then abruptly scrubbed his hand down his face.

Toshinori let out a broken bark of a laugh and nodded.

"Okay," he said to the empty room, "Okay."

He raised his hand again, placing it on the back of his head and carding his fingers through his hair. Then hesitantly, he let his hand slide down to his neck. The new hair, the wrong hair, felt the same as his own in length and texture.

He grimaced as he traced his fingers around the base of his skull. Where had his hairline ended before?

His hand slid farther down, chain clinking and following over his shoulder and under his shirt. His hand stopped between his shoulder blades and he pressed his palm flat. The stripe of hair was only just as wide as his hand, the skin on either side unchanged. The skin under his palm twitched in irritation at the pressure while the hair bristled at the touch.

Toshinori pulled his hand from his shirt and let it fall to his lap.

"Alright," he said, arching his back and rolling his shoulders in an attempt to get the hair to lie flat under his shirt and failing, "It's just hair. What's a little hair?" He leaned against the wall and immediately pulled away with an irritated grunt. Impatiently, he reached back and brushed down at his shirt before giving up being comfortable with a sigh. "Feels like I've got a wool scarf stuffed down my shirt," he groused.

The deadbolt abruptly unlocked with a loud _click!_ and the door swung open. The nurse stepped inside, still turned toward the hall.

"- assimilating well. He is stable and talkative," she stated in that same bored tone, backing away from the open door.

"Nurse," Toshinori greeted with a cheeky smile, "Done terrorizing your other patients?"

The nurse glanced into the hall, "I see why you dislike him."

"Not dislike," said the voice in the hall.

Toshinori tensed, his hackles bristling under his shirt and eyes burning with a fury.

All for One stepped in from the hall, face covered in a new black mask, "I despise him."

Slowly, Toshinori pulled himself up, standing as best he could with the shackles digging down into his wrists. The pinch in his left hand worsening as he cut off circulation to the IV drip.

"Look at you, Symbol of Peace," All for One said, masked face tilting as he held out his hands, "You obliterated so many of my comrades with that body, and now mere chains can hold you down. Are you really so weak? You are an echo of your former self."

Toshinori glared up at his mortal enemy, straining at the shackles to stand at his full height. Gran Torino's warning from the Kamino Ward repeating in his mind unbidden: _Don't let him provoke you! Don't trade anymore words with him!_ Toshinori remained silent.

"Tetsumi," All for One turned to the nurse and in a mocking tone said, "I thought you said he was talkative."

The nurse shrugged impartially, retrieving a thick metal band from the cabinet and turning it over in her hands.

Toshinori's focus remained on All for One, his glare unwavering.

All for One regarded him for a moment, bending slightly to Toshinori's level.

"Tetsumi, if you would," he said, straightening.

The nurse looked up from the metal band and nodded. She released the band, but it did not fall. It remained floating midair - _Metal Manipulation Quirk_ , Toshinori thought - then it shot across the room and clamped around his thin neck. With a quick downward gesture, the nurse yanked Toshinori's head forward by his neck.

Toshinori grit his teeth and fought, thin back and leg muscles straining to keep him upright. The pressure around his neck tightened and forced him lower. Shame flared in his gut as Toshinori panted and his gaze landed on his legs. They were shaking with the effort to simply stay standing.

Then something hitched sharply in his chest and he coughed. His knees buckled and he fell, roughly jarring his knees on the tiled floor. Blood sprayed between his teeth as he tried to stifle the hacking coughing fit that had done him in. It dripped down his chin and onto the floor as his breath rattled wetly in his chest. His arm twitched, instinctively moving to wipe the blood away, but it had been pinned behind him by the manipulated chain.

A hand brushed the back of his bowed head and slunk to the base of his neck. There was a tug at his shirt collar and a loud tearing. The material of his shirt fell to his sides as his back was exposed to the cold hospital air.

The hand returned, brushing down against the bristling blonde hackles on Toshinori's back. Too late did he recognize the polished black shoes in front of him.

Toshinori involuntarily bucked against the unmoving metal hold at his neck and wrists, mentally willing All for One to burst into flames or drop dead on the spot. Anything to get the villain's clammy hand off him.

"Ridged Mane," All for One said, grabbing a fistful of the hair at the base of Toshinori's neck, "A virtually useless mutant form quirk. It had potential to be of use and powerful given time and the right quirk mixing. But it was hampered by poor breeding and the introduction of the quirkless gene. It suits you."

Toshinori furrowed his brow, searching for even the most minute ember of One for All. Just a split second to transform and break free from the chains that bound him.

"You are just as useless now. So much for the great All Might." All for One continued, "Who would have suspected the world's false hero was born quirkless?"

Toshinori froze. _How…?_

"Even your predecessor had her own quirk before receiving One for All." All for One rambled thoughtfully, dragging his fingers through the blonde hackles again, scraping his fingernails against Toshinori's spine before pulling his hand away, "Imagine my surprise when I tried to take yours and found _nothing_ left in you. What could your master have been thinking when she passed on the quirk I fathered to a sub-human child?"

 _Don't you dare speak of her,_ Toshinori wanted to roar, to pull back his fist and strike All for One down again for mentioning his predecessor. Instead, he looked up and glared at the villain, eyes burning and heart beating slow and strong and proud.

"How could something so obsolete become such a thorn in my side?" All for One asked, leaning down closer to Toshinori's eye level. "Ah, but this presents a unique opportunity. Your breed is so rare. I have never had the chance to work with a perfect blank canvas. No inborn quirks to complicate my work."

Toshinori held the man's nonexistent stare. He had already known All for One never planned to kill him. If he had, he would have already done it. And he had already suspected…

"Additionally, many of my previous creations were captured and are beyond my reach. I will have to make more." All for One straightened and gestured to the whole of Toshinori, "How fortunate I can kill two birds with one stone."

The metal against Toshinori's neck and wrist slackened marginally. It was only a little, but perhaps…

"I will remake you. I will rename you," All for One's voice quieted, "Noumu."

Toshinori grit his teeth and pushed himself up until his back was straight and proud, not missing the way the nurse's hand shook with effort at her limit.

"You can try."

* * *

Thank you for reading! Send me a review or PM if you have any questions or comments.


	2. Afterimage

I do not own BNHA or its characters.

Enjoy Chapter Two of "Canvas"

Cowritten and proofread by aoimikans on Tumblr.

* * *

 **Afterimage**

The rain poured through the night and into morning. The sky was dark, still overcast with a blanket of grey clouds. Naomasa Tsukauchi stirred his coffee absently, watching droplets race down the kitchen window.

Toshinori had been right. Naomasa had needed a good night's sleep after the day before and in preparation of the eventual shitshow to come. He sighed and took a long sip from his mug. At least the coffee was decent.

His cell phone rang, the simple ringtone for work calls, and he pulled it from his pocket.

"This is Detective Tsukauchi."

"Ah, good morning. This is Officer Hamada with homicide," said the man on the other line, "There's been an incident with signs pointing toward a violent crime committed with a quirk. Since this is part of your department's jurisdiction, I was told to call you in."

Naomasa nodded and set his mug down in the sink, grabbing a pen and paper from the counter.

"Where?"

* * *

"Detective Tsukauchi," a middle-aged police officer greeted Naomasa as he ducked under the crime scene tape, "I'm Officer Hamada. We spoke over the phone. Thank you for coming. This way."

"What happened?" Naomasa asked, glancing around the car park. Uniform black cars lined the lot, each shined like new, as was to be expected of the high-end hero driving service. A few he passed had the U.A. insignia etched into plaques on the hoods.

 _That's right,_ Naomasa thought, _This company partners with U.A._

"One of the drivers came in this morning and found the body of a coworker," Officer Hamada gestured to a young woman wrapped in a blanket and sitting at the back of a nearby ambulance. "She discovered it in the locker room. She's really shook up."

Naomasa nodded, "And it's believed the homicide was committed with a quirk?"

"I think it's pretty clear that's the case," Officer Hamada grimaced as he lead Naomasa into the adjacent office building. "Just down here."

At the end of the hall, a small group of officers speaking with a forensic scientist stood by an open door. Camera flashes lit up the hall from within the room. The forensic scientist paused when she spotted their approach.

"You're with the Quirk Crimes Division?" she asked as Naomasa stopped in front of her.

"I am. Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi," he said, holding out his hand. She shook it with a nod.

"Chihiro Sato," she replied, tapping the ID card clipped to her shirt. She turned away briefly, stooping to pick up a small box from the floor. She pulled out two shoe covers and handed them to Naomasa, "Put these on. I can't have you tracking in anything from outside."

Naomasa slipped the covers on and followed her into the locker room. Officer Hamada followed soon after donning his own covers.

"Have you ever worked with homicide, Detective?" Sato asked as she rounded a wall of lockers.

"I have," Naomasa replied.

"Good. I'd rather you didn't hurl on my crime scene." Sato said curtly.

When he saw the body, Naomasa understood her concern. Two spiraled bone spears pierced through the man's shoulder and chest, pinning him to the back wall.

"Watch your step," Sato said, walking around labeled blood splatter.

Naomasa nodded grimly then jumped slightly when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He quickly pulled it out, glancing at the unfamiliar number before tucking it back in his pant pocket.

"We think he was on his way out," Sato said, gesturing to the man's driver uniform. "Driver's License identifies him as Hibiki Genji."

"Hibiki?" Naomasa sighed, "Oh no."

"You know him?" Officer Hamada asked.

"Not personally. My friend teaches at U.A. and Hibiki is - was his usual driver," Naomasa shook his head. "He was a good man."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Sato said solemnly.

"Sato, the camera is set up and ready to record," said a younger forensic field tech. Beside him was a video camera on a tripod.

"Thanks Akio." Sato moved to stand beside the body.

Officer Hamada leaned toward Naomasa, "Sato is the Homicide Division's best forensic scientist. On top of that, her Afterimage Quirk is invaluable."

"Afterimage?" Naomasa asked.

"Watch," Officer Hamada nodded to Sato.

"Make a note that I am placing my bare hand on the deceased's right shoulder," Sato said. She then did so and took a long, deep breath. When she opened her eyes, they looked clouded.

In the center of the room, a ghostly image of Hibiki Genji appeared.

The image was talking on the phone, though no sound came from him. He laughed and pocketed the phone before moving to a nearby locker. He appeared to open it and pulled a set of keys from inside. Then Hibiki jumped, startled. He looked over his shoulder, brow furrowing in confusion. He called out, growing more cautious and uncertain as seconds passed.

Hibiki's eyes went wide. He flew back and slammed into the wall where his physical body remained and clutched his shoulder, ghostly hand gripping at the bone spear. His face twisted in pain, silently shouting until a hand shaped impression pressed against his face. Hibiki's eyes went wide, panic flaring and tears spilling from them. He shook his head and cringed. The impression of the hand disappeared and Hibiki slumped slightly, breathing hard. Then he glared, his eyes following some unseen person as they moved to leave the locker room. He spoke and spat on the ground, a pained defiant grin splitting his face. His body jolted and his expression fell. His ghostly hand moved to loosely grip the bone spear in his chest. The light left his eyes and his head fell. The afterimage finally overlapped the physical body and faded away.

Sato removed her hand from the deceased and cleaned it with a cloth given to her by another field tech.

"Get all that?" She asked.

The man gave her a thumbs up before taking down the video camera and tripod.

"Also, Yuuta, see if you can get any fingerprints from his face. We could get lucky." She turned to Naomasa, "Your thoughts?"

"You were right to call." Naomasa gestured to the bone spears, "You may get DNA from those assuming they were generated by the attacker's body. Unfortunately, I can't say this kind of quirk is familiar. Whoever did this may not have a record, but I'll gladly work with you to put this killer behind bars."

"Sure thing," Sato said with a curt nod. "Same to you."

"You have work still to do. I'll get out of your way for now," Naomasa said, thanking Sato and her fellow forensic technicians before following Officer Hamada from the crime scene.

As he was walking from the building, his phone buzzed.

Naomasa paused, pulling the phone from his pocket. A voicemail notification popped up. It was from the unfamiliar number. He selected it and raised his phone to his ear.

"Hi, this is Izuku Midoriya. I'm -uh- All Might's student. We've met a few times. He gave me your number as an emergency contact - not that this is an emergency! It's just, All Might didn't show up for our morning training, which isn't like him. He mentioned he was going to see you last night. Did he stay over maybe? Or tell you where he was going? Usually he gets a ride back-"

Naomasa almost dropped his phone when a truly dreadful thought clicked into place.

 _Toshinori got a ride…_

Naomasa practically flew back into the building and down the hall. He came to a stop at the locker room door, breathless and startling the younger officers present.

"Sato!" Naomasa shouted before reining in his voice. He had to be overthinking things. _Hoped beyond hope_ he was overthinking things.

"Detective?" Sato appeared from behind the lockers, "Did you think of something?"

"The time of death," Naomasa said, his voice still too loud, "Do you know his time of death?"

Sato gave him a curious look, "Based on the deceased's rigour mortis, we estimate time of death was around 7pm last night."

Dread dropped like a stone in Naomasa's gut.

Toshinori had called for a ride back to U.A. Hibiki was his driver. Toshinori would never call anyone else. There had been headlights outside the window and the slam of a car door. It was already 9pm when he'd left.

Naomasa raised his phone and dialed Toshinori. He paced a ways down the hall, running a hand through his hair as the phone continued to ring.

"Pick up Toshinori…" he muttered through grit teeth.

"This is Toshinori Yagi-"

"Toshinori, thank -"

"I can't come to the phone. Please leave a message."

"Damn!" Naomasa almost threw the phone against the wall as nausea flared against the dread. After a slow breath, he said, "Toshinori, I need you to call me back as soon as you get this. It's important."

He slammed the end call button and shoved his phone back into his pocket.

Sato came up from behind him, raking him with an intelligent, curious gaze.

"Are you on to something?" She asked.

Naomasa covered his mouth and furrowed his brow. "I _sincerely_ hope not."

* * *

If the smell hadn't given it away that he was imprisoned in a hospital, the food did. Prepackaged sandwiches, jello, and broth, a mix of items that were either for patients or their visitors. Food he had sworn he would never eat again after his many surgeries and stays at other hospitals. So much for that.

He tore the plastic wrap off a turkey and cheese sandwich with his teeth and bit into it.

 _Could use mayo_ , he thought dully. He huffed.

"Could I get some condiments next time?" he called toward the closed door. Not that he expected anyone to answer, or hear him for that matter. From what he saw of the dark hallway outside the door, he suspected he was in a basement level. Likely some closed down, ancient wing that was never updated to accommodate the vast variety of people's quirks. Fortunately for Toshinori, that narrowed down his list of possible locations greatly.

He grinned in thought, munching on the dry sandwich.

There were seven hospitals he knew of that did not fully update, were old enough to make updating more trouble than just adding on, and large enough to afford having abandoned the old wings in favor of the new wings. Two of those hospitals were close enough to drive to by car from Detective Tsukauchi's in less time than it took for the rain in Toshinori's hair to dry. That was assuming All for One did not use his Transmission Quirk, which was unlikely since he could not send himself through transmission as well.

He frowned as he crumpled up the sandwich wrapper with his one free hand and tossed it to the wastebin across the room. The ball of plastic bounced off the rim and away from the bin.

"Shit," Toshinori grumbled, hackles rising at his irritation. He narrowed his eyes at the offending ball of plastic, just out of reach and nowhere near the wastebin. "That's going to bug me."

He absently rolled his shoulders in an attempt to get the hair along his spine to lie flat, not that it ever laid flat he had quickly figured out. It was as unruly as the wild mane of hair on his head.

Toshinori leaned back against the wall, his bare back twitching at the cold surface briefly, and he pulled up a knee to rest his elbow against.

 _Two possible hospitals_ , he mused. _Either Rishi General Hospital or Jedha Central. As for escape routes -_

Something buzzed on the counter by the door. Once, twice, up to eight times before it stopped. Moments later there was a short buzz and it silenced.

Toshinori furrowed his brow. That buzzing had been on and off since they brought him his first meal in what he assumed was morning. Part of him wondered if the quiet male nurse had left his cell phone on the counter. When he stood to see onto the counter earlier in the day, he was annoyed to find a tissue box was in front of the buzzing phone.

 _Maybe they're trying a new torture method?_ Toshinori thought with a huff. At least it broke the boredom and silence.

Footsteps _clacked_ outside the door. Toshinori tensed and rose to his feet. The nurses all wore soft bottomed shoes and walked almost silently. The only person who wore hard-heeled dress shoes was -

The door opened, slow and deliberate.

"Don't stand on my account," All for One said, smug as Toshinori strained against the short chains. His head canted slightly, "You're quiet. Have you taken a vow of silence?"

A small, forced smile pulled at the end of Toshinori's mouth. He wouldn't give the villain the satisfaction.

Then the phone buzzed again.

All for One turned and reached to the counter.

"What is this?" he asked, an odd lilt in his voice. "Ah, you have a call." All for One plucked a red phone from the counter.

Toshinori froze, eyes going wide. It was his. It was his own damn phone.

All for One turned the screen toward Toshinori and hummed. "Tell me, who is calling?"

Toshinori's heart raced in his chest and his forced smile fell.

 _Izuku!_ The boy's photo, the one from the first day of training, lit up the screen.

"Ah, so it is your student. Your successor." All for One tapped the screen.

"... All Might?" Izuku's voice rang hollow through the room.

Toshinori's shoulders shook under the strain he put on the chains.

"All Might, are you there?" There was an uncertain tremor in Izuku's voice. Toshinori's resolve shattered.

"Midoriya, my boy!" Toshinori blurted.

The phone crumpled in All for One's fist.

"You broke your silence." All for One stated, letting the crumpled pieces of the phone fall to the tiled floor. "Have I found the weakness in your pride? That boy, Izuku Midoriya?"

"Don't you say his name!" Toshinori roared and hacked, blood dripping from his chin. His eyes burned with a fury.

All for One strode toward Toshinori and chuckled darkly, "I wonder how that pride of yours would fare with his blood on your hands. _Noumu._ "

The edge of All for One's shape blurred and Toshinori braced. He couldn't move impossibly fast anymore, but his eyes still did. All for One flew forward, his clammy hand clapping over Toshinori's mouth.

Toshinori's knees buckled as his shoulders slammed into the wall. His skull rattled and he grit his teeth. Something warm seeped through them. He recognized the metallic taste.

A guttural shout raged against the hand pressed to his mouth, his shackles biting into his skin as he struggled.

 _Be All Might! Damn you!_ But his arms shook with weakness. He roared and dug in deep, using every ounce of strength - something snapped in his inner elbow and pain flared through his arm.

Then All for One backed away, pulling a white handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiping his palm. The cloth came away stained red.

Toshinori spat at his feet, breathing raggedly. His arm hung limp at his side, already itching and twitching as the accelerating healing began its work. He spat again for good measure and glared up at All for One.

The villain tucked the handkerchief back in his breast pocket.

"Nothing left to say?" he asked.

Toshinori's gaze burned blue and strong. He wiped the blood from his lips the moment his arm was whole again.

"I wonder how long that stamina will last," All for One pondered, voice flat and distant.

* * *

Toshinori had determinedly returned to his plans of escape. How much weight could the chains carry before the screws in the wall gave way? How long were the screws? What material lay behind the tiled wall? He had tugged on the chain again, experimentally putting his body weight under it. It didn't budge.

Toshinori huffed and swallowed roughly. Sweat coated his brow. His insides burned.

The female nurse, Tetsumi, returned soon after followed by the young male nurse. Nurse Tetsumi brought more chains. Without a word, she pinned his arms to his sides while adding the chains to the wall and his shackles, extending his range of movement. When she released him, he rubbed the bases of his wrists.

"Don't tear out your IV. You'll need it," she said, sounding bored as ever. She pointed to low wall near the corner of the room. "There's the toilet. Isamu," the young male nurse flinched at the sound of his name, "Clean this up." The female nurse gestured to the blood splatter on the floor.

"Yes, ma'am," Isamu's voice was subdued. He pulled cleaning supplies from the cupboard below the counter and began to scrub at the blood stains. He shot nervous glances at Toshinori before his gaze returned to the floor.

"I'd hate to have her as a boss," Toshinori quipped suddenly. Grinning conspiratorially at the young nurse when he looked at him, his eyes round in shock. "If you want a break from that, we could trade places." Toshinori continued, holding up his shackled wrist. His arm shook slightly and he let it fall to his abdomen. The twisting, burning sensation was getting worse.

"Ignore him," Nurse Tetsumi ordered as she replaced the near-empty IV bag. "He likes to talk."

Isamu looked between the female nurse and Toshinori, a conflicted look on his face.

"You… You know that's All Might, right?" he asked quietly.

The nurse twisted around, her face pinched in anger. Toshinori tried not to grunt in pain when the shackles tightened around his wrists, his bones groaning under the pressure.

"That's a noumu," the woman stated, her voice low. Then she let out a breath and her bored expression returned. "Just do your job."

Isamu bowed his head, thoroughly cowed. "Yes, ma'am."

Something buzzed at the nurse's side. She glanced at the pager.

"I'm needed in pediatrics. Finish up here," Nurse Tetsumi ordered before walking briskly from the room.

"That woman really should not work with kids," Toshinori choked out, grimacing against the growing nausea in his gut. Now that the witch was gone, his facade crumbled. He let his head fall back against the tiled wall, savoring the cold pressed to his overheated back and shivering.

"Here," Isamu's voice shook and he backed away quickly when Toshinori opened his eyes again. He'd brought the wastebin closer. He'd even thrown the sandwich wrapper away. "If you need to vomit but can't get to the toilet," the young nurse explained, not meeting Toshinori's gaze.

Toshinori chuckled, hissing when pain shot through his chest.

"You're a good kid," he said, smiling when the young man shot him a distraught look.

Isamu shook his head and stood, nervously running his fingers over the small spikes on the back of his neck.

"I'm really not," the young man almost whispered. He quickly put away the cleaning supplies and strode to the door.

"I'm sorry that you got mixed up with this," Toshinori called softly from his spot.

Isamu paused in the doorway and almost looked back.

 _Me too,_ his bent posture said. Then he left, locking the door behind him.

* * *

Toshinori shook, his eyes closed tight against the light and the nausea and pain twisting his insides. He wheezed against his fist. The air rattled in his throat and he coughed. Dots of red coated his shaking fingers.

He was on his side, facing the wall and pressing his feverish, throbbing forehead against the cool tiles. He couldn't remember when he had laid down. His gut clenched with nausea and he forced his torso up, retching into the wastebin. Nothing but bile came up. Exhausted and trembling weakly, he pushed the bin away and collapsed back onto the floor, relishing the cold of the tile.

The pressure in his skull increased, as though it was in a vice. Something _cracked_ at the back of his jawbone and he saw white.

* * *

When Toshinori woke again, the burning pain in his insides had reduced to what felt like bad heartburn. He groaned and rubbed his sore jaw.

 _So that's what taking one of my punches feels like_ , he thought darkly.

Toshinori rolled onto his back, cringing at the sensation of his soaked ridge hair sticking to his skin. He slowly pulled himself up with the help of the chains and leaned against the wall. His throat ached. He swallowed roughly and coughed. It was like someone had scrubbed his vocal chords with sandpaper.

A chill ran over his bare skin.

Toshinori looked down. His shirt was in tatters, holes eaten away by what looked like chemical burns. It smelt of bile and blood.

"Raise your arms, Noumu."

Toshinori tensed and turned, his still feverish, throbbing head delaying his response time.

Nurse Tetsumi stood in front of him, a bored look on her face and scissors in hand. Nurse Isamu was near the door, gaze lowered. He carried the warped remains of the wastebin, holes melted through the plastic.

"Noumu," the nurse snapped her fingers, earning herself a glare from Toshinori. "Raise your arms."

"I'm not a noumu." Toshinori growled. At least, he had tried. The noise that left him did not sound human.

Nurse Tetsumi's eyes widened. And she _smiled._

"Say that again."

Toshinori's hackles rose all down his spine as he froze. He swallowed. His throat was still terribly sore… maybe he hadn't… Toshinori's gaze slid over to meet the young man's. Isamu's face paled and he shrunk toward the door, his trembling hand covering his mouth.

The fear in the young man's eyes was like a blow to the chest, knocking the wind from him. Toshinori didn't realize he had raised his hand to reach for him until it fell into his lap.

"Sensei said you had taken a vow of silence," the nurse said smugly, "I suppose this new quirk will help." Her mocking grin widened, "Where did that fire in your eyes go?"

Toshinori was silent.

Suddenly, the shackles yanked his arms up and to the side.

 _Hey!_ Toshinori shouted, the word coming out mangled as a rasping, gurgling snarl. It caught painfully in his throat and he coughed.

"Isamu," Nurse Tetsumi turned to the nurse cowering by the door, "Come here and help me. I can't hold him and cut the shirt away."

Isamu stared at the middle-aged nurse in horror but one glare from her and he shuffled over. The female nurse shoved the scissors into his hands and pushed him forward. The young man shook but did not get closer.

"He can't move, Isamu. Stop being ridiculous," Nurse Tetsumi said impatiently.

Isamu flinched under the woman's harsh words and knelt.

Toshinori watched as the young man took his tattered sleeve in hand and began cutting it away. Isamu's hands shook and he tried to rush. The sharp blades of the scissors cut into Toshinori's skin.

Isamu pulled the scissors away and looked physically ill.

"I'm sorry!" he blurted, finally meeting Toshinori's soft blue gaze.

Toshinori gave him a small, patient smile.

Isamu paused, staring in disbelief at the calm, pitying expression. He bit his lip and steeled himself. He resumed cutting away the ruined shirt, mumbling almost inaudibly under his breath.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, All Might," he whispered.

The left sleeve fell away, exposing Toshinori's twisted scar and skeletal frame.

Isamu nearly dropped the scissors. Instead, he covered his mouth and pointedly looked away from the scar. He pulled the shirt away and stood. Without a word, he turned and left.

Nurse Tetsumi huffed as she watched the young man leave.

"Coward," she said.

 _Far braver than you,_ Toshinori thought as the chains continued to hold his arms in place.

The nurse's gaze returned, her eyes raking over Toshinori's exposed torso. "Now you are starting to look like a proper noumu."

He only glared.

* * *

After the witch had left him alone, Toshinori had tried and failed to speak. His words all came out wrong, some sounding distinctly … He tried not to think back to that first fight with the Villain Alliance. There was only something wrong with his throat, he had reasoned. He would adapt and think a way around it. He had to.

At some point, Toshinori must have fallen asleep and laid down. He woke with a start when he heard the lock _click_ again. He sat up, sore and disoriented in the never changing bright light of the room. No one was there with him. Confused, Toshinori looked around.

On the floor, near where his head had been was a clean, folded hospital gown.

 _Oh,_ Toshinori sighed and let a small smile tug at his thin lips. _That young man…_

He shook his head as he lifted the hospital gown from the floor, grateful for a moment that not everything All for One touched became twisted.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Send me a review or PM if you have any questions or comments.


	3. Sound of Silence

I do not own BNHA or its characters.

Enjoy Chapter Three of "Canvas"

Cowritten and proofread by aoimikans on Tumblr.

* * *

 **Sound of Silence**

Izuku trained every morning at 6AM. When All Might moved into the Class 1A dorm, he joined Izuku on the field, a welcome addition to Izuku's mornings. The transition was seamless and natural. It was as it had been for those ten months of hell, before All Might passed One for All to him. Before U.A. Before Kamino.

When the field was empty that morning, Izuku hadn't thought much of All Might's absence at first. The retired hero was still healing from his fight with All for One and usually appeared on the sidelines of the training field while Izuku was still warming up, a steaming thermos of tea in hand and huddled in his long coat against the morning chill. Some days he contented himself with watching Izuku train, allowing the boy to think through his own movements. Other days he got up, walked onto the field, and gave Izuku small tips and advice lightly disguised with casual jokes. All Might's raspy laugh and praise echoed loudly across the field in those early morning hours. But not today.

Izuku gripped his cell phone tight, All Might's voicemail repeating from the speaker. Izuku hung up and bit his lip. An uneasy feeling coiled in his gut and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. All Might always called back on the rare occasions he couldn't answer right away, but it had been hours since Izuku's first call.

 _Where are you?_ Izuku nervously bounced his leg, glancing outside. The overcast sky was far too dark for midday. The clouds hung ominously low, still heavy with rain. Early fall winds blew through the cracked window and sent a chill into the room. It smelled like rain.

Izuku almost launched off his bed when his cell phone rang loudly.

"FOR A PHONE CALL IS HERE!" All Might's boisterous voice called from the phone's speaker.

Izuku scrambled to answer, forgetting in his rush to check the ID.

"H-hello?" Izuku answered, patting his chest lightly to calm his pounding heart.

"Ah, is this Izuku Midoriya? This is Detective Tsukauchi," said the man on the other line.

"Oh. Oh! G-good afternoon," Izuku stuttered, "Did you-"

"I'm heading to U.A. now to speak with Principal Nedzu." Detective Tsukauchi interrupted briskly. Then he paused and took a steadying breath, "It would be best if you were there as well, Midoriya."

Izuku's brow furrowed in confusion but he nodded.

"O-okay?"

"I'm about ten minutes away. Principal Nedzu knows I'm coming. I'll meet you in his office." The wind howled on the other end before the line was cut.

Izuku let his hand drop into his lap and glanced out the window again. Darker clouds were rolling in and a raindrop tapped against the glass pane. A storm was brewing.

Izuku's grip tightened around his phone.

Thunder rumbled distantly.

 _Where are you, All Might?_

* * *

Izuku sat on the couch in the principal's office and fidgeted nervously. He glanced between Principal Nedzu and Detective Tsukauchi who sat across from them. He jumped slightly when the Principal patted his back with a soft paw.

"Tea?" the mouse-dog-bear-like principal held out a small teacup.

"Ah! Um, thank you," Izuku said quietly, taking the cup in hand.

"Some for you as well, Detective?"

"No, thank you," Tsukauchi politely declined the offered cup and folded his hands together. He sighed grimly, "As you both know, All Might defeated All for One at the Kamino Ward and we were able to take him into custody." He paused, "Two nights ago, it is believed someone working in the highest security ward cut all surveillance and aided in All for One's escape. His location is unknown."

Izuku's teacup fell from his hands.

"Wh… What?" a shudder involuntarily ran through him, "After everything All Might…" Izuku's shoulders shook and he pressed a hand over his mouth. The terror of that day roared back. All for One's raw power and callous treatment of life. All Might bleeding and beaten down, True Form revealed to the world, and using the very last of One for All to defeat him. Tears welled in Izuku's eyes. "No…"

Principal Nedzu placed the dropped teacup on the coffee table and lightly patted Izuku's knee.

"Thank you for telling us this," Nedzu said, turning back to the detective, "I assume this hasn't been made public yet."

"No," Tsukauchi answered, "Not yet. I imagine there will be a press conference soon. Those leading the investigation will want to control the flow of information to avoid public speculation and panic as much as possible."

Izuku's phone buzzed lightly and he quickly pulled it from his pocket. His shoulders slumped. It was a hero spotting notification for Kamui Woods. Still nothing from All Might.

"Something wrong, Midoriya?" Principal Nedzu asked.

Detective Tsukauchi spoke up, "That's… another reason I came. This morning I was called to the Tantive Company to aid in investigating the death of Hibiki Genji."

"That name's familiar," Nedzu nodded, "One of our drivers?"

"He was Toshinori's - ah - All Might's driver." Tsukauchi said. He bent forward, brows furrowed and shoulders heavy. "All Might was with me until just after 9PM before he called from a ride back to U.A. Well after Hibiki's estimated time of death. Neither I nor young Midoriya have been in contact with him since."

Principal Nedzu frowned grimly, "I see."

Izuku stared down at his fists trembling in his lap. Horror stirred in his gut, slow and heavy. He felt sick.

Izuku felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up, meeting Detective Tsukauchi's gaze. The detective squeezed Izuku's shoulder lightly and tried to smile, but it fell short. Worry and guilt flashed behind Tsukauchi's eyes and he pulled away.

"You think there is some connection between All for One's escape and -"

"I want to try calling him again!" Izuku blurted, interrupting the principal without thinking. "M-maybe he's just having a bad day. He goes back to his apartment when he feels sick or hurting because he doesn't want us to worry at the dorms and he thinks we don't notice -"

"Midoriya," Tsukauchi ran his hand through his hair before sighing, "His apartment was the first place I checked."

"O-oh…" Izuku faltered.

"Go ahead," Principal Nedzu said calmly, taking a small sip of his tea. "No harm in trying."

Izuku blinked owlishly at the principal in surprise then hastily nodded, dialing All Might. It went to voicemail as it had all morning.

Detective Tsukauchi frowned slightly but said nothing.

"Maybe…" Izuku dialed again. It rang and rang.

"This is Toshinori Yagi. I can't come to the phone. Please leave a message."

The knot of dread in Izuku's gut tightened.

"Please answer All Might," he whispered and dialed again.

It rang once… twice … a third time … a forth. It abruptly stopped. No voicemail, only silence.

"All Might?" Izuku tentatively called out. His voice faintly echoed back through the speaker.

Something rustled, the heavy sound of metal against metal.

"All Might," Izuku's voice trembled uncertainly, the dread coiling dangerously around his lungs, "Are you there?"

"Midoriya, my boy!" All Might's voice rang out sharply.

The call dropped.

The office was silent until Principal Nedzu crawled off the couch and walked over to his desk. He picked up the phone and dialed.

"Midnight, if you would gather the faculty. Teacher's meeting in my office." He paused, "Yes, discreetly please. Thank you."

Nedzu returned to the couch but did not take a seat. "Detective Tsukauchi, how soon can you can you file a missing person report?"

"Given the circumstances, I will as soon as I get back to the station," Tsukauchi said.

Izuku barely heard them. He clutched his phone in shaking hands. All Might's voice reverberated faintly in his skull. He sounded… scared… desperate. All Might _never_ sounded like that. He'd always smiled to -

A hand on Izuku's shoulder jolted him from his thoughts.

Detective Tsukauchi knelt down in front of him, understanding in his voice when he said, "All Might is going to be okay." Tsukauchi smiled and it reached his eyes, "He's All Might. We just have to have faith in him. Alright?"

Izuku gaped at him - hadn't he _heard?_ \- then nodded. He pocketed his phone and curled his hands into fists.

 _That's right_ , Izuku reassured himself, _He's All Might. He's All Might._

"I'll have the teachers form search parties when they are on patrol. At the very least we can begin to canvas the area." Principal Nedzu said, spreading a map over the coffee table, "You said you saw him leaving your home last?"

"Yes," Tsukauchi answered, pointing to his address on the map, "And the car left going west."

"How can I help?" Izuku asked, popping up off the couch, and was rewarded with uncertain glances.

"You have classes to attend," Principal Nedzu said as if it were the most obvious answer.

"But-!"

"All Might would want you to focus on your studies. He is your teacher after all," Nedzu continued, "How would he feel if you fell behind?"

Izuku struggled to find an argument, but Tsukauchi gently pulled him aside.

"Leave this to us, Midoriya," the detective said softly, "With your teachers and myself working together, we're bound to find All Might in no time." He gave Izuku's shoulder a small squeeze, "It's fantastic that you want to help. All Might would be so proud of you, but he would want you safe and busy with your studies first."

Izuku's gaze fell to the floor, his vision blurring. He wiped away the tears before they could fall, "I know."

"Good boy," Tsukauchi smiled, "Can you make it back to the dorms on your own?"

"Y-yeah," Izuku nodded.

"Come on then," Tsukauchi shook Izuku's shoulder lightly, "Smile and straighten those shoulders. We'll bring him home."

Izuku straightened marginally and forced a small smile.

"That's it!" the detective patted Izuku's back a little forcefully and Izuku couldn't help wincing and smiling genuinely. "Off you go."

Izuku left the principal's office, passing a few curious teachers as they went into the impromptu meeting.

Finally alone wandering the halls of the empty school, Izuku let the smile drop. He couldn't shake the dread. Instead, it curled deeper in his gut, hidden and coiled tightly.

One for All stirred just under his skin and Izuku shuddered at the sudden, jittery rush, the strong urge to _just do something_. But Principal Nedzu and Detective Tsukauchi said to let them and the other teachers handle it. So he would.

Izuku sped up to a jog, One for All flaring up and sending him flying down the halls and out onto the school grounds, toward the training field. He needed to _do something_ , so he would train. It's what All Might would want.

 _Right?_

* * *

Toshinori woke with a start when the door unlocked with a loud _click!_ He blinked at the bright light and rolled his painfully stiff neck. Had he nodded off sitting up? He watched as the young nurse pushed the door open with his foot, a tray of food in hand. When Isamu glanced his way, the nurse managed a small smile.

"I was a little worried it wouldn't fit," Isamu said, looking over the plain hospital gown Toshinori wore. His smile fell and he turned his back on Toshinori, setting the tray down on the counter by the door, "I'm really sorry about your shirt and … all this."

Toshinori hummed neutrally.

Isamu jumped a little and faced Toshinori, brows furrowed slightly.

"You can still..?" he shuffled slightly, "Can you still talk?"

Toshinori coughed and rubbed his throat with a shrug. The last time he attempted speaking, his words were drowned out by a painful gurgling noise that sent him into a coughing fit.

Isamu looked a little disappointed, "But you can still understand everything?"

Toshinori snorted, tapping his temple and grinning cheekily. He glanced at the clipboard hanging by the door and gestured for the pen and paper.

Isamu followed his gaze and, quick on the uptake, unhooked the clipboard from the wall. He paused then, clipboard in hand. A look of uncertainty and fear flashed across his face, and he glanced back at the door.

"She'll notice if paper goes missing," Isamu muttered, nervously clutching the clipboard tighter.

Toshinori huffed in frustration but nodded in understanding.

"I'm sorry," Isamu mumbled, returning the clipboard to its hook. He gestured to the food on the counter, "I brought dinner."

Toshinori's head jerked up, and he locked eyes with the young nurse. He brought up his arm and tapped on the shackle around his wrist.

 _How long? What time is it?_

Isamu pulled up the sleeve of his scrubs then froze. He winced and avoided Toshinori's gaze.

"I'm not supposed to say. I shouldn't have said dinner," he clutched his shaking hands together, "I shouldn't have - that was stupid."

Toshinori rapidly clapped his hands twice.

Isamu jolted.

Toshinori gave the young man a pitying smile and a thumbs up. _It's alright._

"It's not okay," Isamu shook his head, "It really isn't."

Toshinori sighed, leaned against the wall, and patted the spot beside him.

 _Take a seat._

Isamu paused, pulling his sleeve over his watch, then hastily grabbed the food tray. He walked over and lowered himself to the floor, just out of Toshinori's reach, and slid the food across to Toshinori.

 _It's a start_ , Toshinori thought wryly.

"I, um," Isamu gestured to the canned green tea, "I heard you liked tea and there's a vending machine…" he trailed off awkwardly.

A small smile tugged at the edge of Toshinori's lips as he reached for the can. The chains scraped against the floor loudly, and he caught the way the nurse tensed at the sound. He lifted the can, spinning it around. The brand was common, one that Toshinori had before.

Toshinori cracked open the can and took a slow sip. It was still cold and soothed his sore throat. He set the can down and looked over the rest of the food. He couldn't help but grimace at the hospital broth and jello pack.

"Oh," Isamu winced, grabbing Toshinori's attention. "I should have known you wouldn't like it, considering your…" he gestured to Toshinori's covered abdomen. Isamu furrowed his brow, "That looked pretty bad."

 _What an understatement!_ Toshinori laughed, loud and barking as it had always been. Something suddenly caught in his chest and he tasted iron. He hastily raised his fist to his mouth, riding out the coughing fit.

"Ah!" Isamu scrambled forward, grabbing at the stethoscope around his neck, but Toshinori held up a hand. Isamu froze, still leaning forward indecisively.

Toshinori huffed, a little breathless, and wiped the blood from his chin.

 _Don't worry about it,_ he waved his hand dismissively. He gently tapped at the left side of his chest and shrugged. He took another swig of tea to wash the metallic taste from his mouth.

"I should … I should still check," Isamu said, scooting closer and sliding the food tray to the side, "You really shouldn't shrug something like that off."

Toshinori shook his head but sat up straighter as the nurse popped in his stethoscope earpieces.

Isamu pressed the chestpiece to the right side of Toshinori's chest, listening as Toshinori took as deep a breath as he could. He frowned at the faint, wet rattling and moved the chestpiece to Toshinori's back. Then he moved it to the left side of his chest. He furrowed his brow and moved the chestpiece slightly.

Toshinori patted the nurse's wrist and Isamu jerked away. He held his hand over the place where his lung had been and tried to laugh it off, but Isamu's stricken expression didn't fade.

Isamu sat back, eyes raking over Toshinori's skeletal form.

"Why are you _here?_ " Isamu asked. "You-you should be resting! You're retired! _You don't have a lung!_ Why-?" the nurse ran his hand through his short dark hair.

Toshinori gave Isamu a quizzical smile. He pointed to himself and flexed, his skinny bicep trembling slightly at his effort.

 _I'm All Might._

Isamu shook his head in disbelief.

"How long have you been like this?" the young man asked, his voice quiet.

Toshinori blinked in surprise.

"That scar was old," Isamu continued, staring at the spot in a daze.

Toshinori sighed and held up six fingers.

"Six?" Isamu's eyes widened, "Wait, _years? Six years?_ "

Toshinori shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck, tensing slightly when his fingers ran through the ridge of hair.

"Did he do that? That man?"

Toshinori's hackles raised and he brushed them down, pinning the floor with a dark glare.

"He's the villain you beat at the Kamino Ward, isn't he?" Isamu asked. "I saw that fight on TV. He looks like him. He even has the helmet."

Before Toshinori could answer, the pager on Isamu's belt buzzed.

The nurse looked at his watch and paled.

"I have to go," Isamu blurted, abruptly standing and rushing to the door, "I already stayed too long." He paused at the door and briefly glanced back at Toshinori, "I'll bring a notebook next time." Then he left, locking the door behind him.

* * *

The hospital broth and jello had no substance and settled oddly in Toshinori's gut. He sipped at the little remaining tea left in the can, wincing at the growing burning ache in his chest. While the full body ache and exhaustion had faded, eating anything gave him heartburn without fail.

 _I'm surprised it isn't worse_ , Toshinori thought with a frown, recalling the warped wastebin and the chemical burns on his shirt. He absently rubbed his abdomen. _What's the extent of the changes?_

He raised the can to his lips again, and grunted in annoyance when he found nothing left. He huffed and crushed the empty can between his hands. Tapping it idly against his palm, Toshinori closed his eyes.

The meal had been a dinner according to the young nurse, so it was evening or night. Given the number of meals since his arrival, Toshinori estimated he had been here two or three days. That was assuming the meals were spaced evenly, which wasn't likely if All for One was hoping to disorient him. The fear in Isamu's voice implied as much.

 _Poor kid_ , Toshinori sighed and chewed thoughtfully. People like Isamu did not follow All for One by choice. That woman, Tetsumi, she was more the type: cold, calculating, and lacking empathy. All for One likely appreciated that and found her useful. From what Toshinori had seen, Tetsumi was charged with keeping an eye on Isamu.

Toshinori swallowed and sighed in relief when the empty, burning ache in his gut settled. He bit down again, savoring the crunch as he chewed and swallowed.

 _Crunch?_

Toshinori furrowed his brow. None of the food …

His jaw clenched and his hand closed tightly around the empty aluminum can. A jagged, torn piece cut into his palm.

 _Shit!_

" _Hhk!_ " Toshinori cursed through grit teeth and ran his free hand over his face. He wished he felt nauseous, but he didn't. The burning in his chest had already subsided. He chucked the half-eaten can across the room. It hit the door with a loud, tinny tap and skittered across the white tile floor.

Toshinori put a hand over where his stomach had been, gripping the hospital gown. He let his head fall back against the wall and he took a deep breath.

 _So, that's what changed._

* * *

Toshinori adjusted the chain wrapped around his arm and tugged again, pressing his feet against the wall and putting his back into it. The chain protested, metal links grinding against each other, but did not budge.

 _What I wouldn't give for a little of my old strength!_

"Hhng!" Toshinori grunted and fell, the chain roughly unravelling from his arm. He lay on his back, panting, and cringed when his shoulder popped back into place, the healing quirk quick to activate.

 _Overdid it. Shit._

A wave of exhaustion overtook him and he shuddered. The ceiling spun and he had to close his eyes for a moment. He let a slow groan escape him and rubbed his sore shoulder.

"Adjusting well?"

 _Fuck!_

Toshinori's eyes shot open and he tensed, adrenaline rushing and preparing to _fight_.

All for One stood in the center of the room, still and calm.

Toshinori glared at the masked villain as he slowly shifted off his back and pushed himself up. Pain shot from his shoulder, radiating down his arm and across his back. His arm shook.

All for One said nothing, but there was a smug air about him that made Toshinori's hackles bristle.

Toshinori rose to his feet and stood tall, eyes flashing with stubborn pride.

All for One had his arms folded behind his back in an easy, relaxed manner. He turned slightly, pretending to look around the small, bare room.

"I'm surprised this place is to your liking," he said as he continued to turn until his back was to Toshinori.

 _Bastard_ , Toshinori thought bitterly as he glared daggers at the back of All for One's head. Glare was all he could do and the bastard knew it. _Damn you._

"I can only assume that it must be since you haven't left," All for One continued, turning back to face Toshinori. "After all, the door is right there. Surely chains aren't enough to hold you back." He tilted his head, "Where's that strength you so desperately clung to? You used to be so eager to show it off."

Toshinori's fingers twitched, itching to curl into fists. He couldn't let him know - couldn't let the villain get a rise out of him. The acidic burning ache flared angrily in his chest but he kept his expression firm. His bristling hackles betrayed him.

All for One hummed neutrally and brought his arms to his front, fiddling with something in his hands.

Toshinori couldn't stop his grimace when he realized what it was. It was the can, crushed and missing chunks.

"I am particularly fascinated by the quirk Devour," All for One said in a relaxed, matter-of-fact tone. He turned the can around in his hands, tracing the sharp edges of the missing chunks with his fingertips. "Its main trait is the production of corrosive digestive fluids that can, given time, break down just about anything, even refuse as you found out so quickly."

The acidic pain bubbled higher in Toshinori's chest and he swallowed roughly. Another wave of exhaustion rushed through him and the pain lessened marginally.

"You lack so much," All for One gestured to Toshinori's torso, "I thought perhaps that would create some complication, but it appears to have assimilated well. I am curious how it adapted without the stomach." He lifted the half-eaten can higher, "It may explain your … cravings."

All for One strolled forward, still fiddling with the half-eaten can.

Toshinori tensed and slowly moved to the side, circling around to the left and keeping his eyes firmly on All for One.

All for One placed the can on the low wall by the toilet, then looked up.

"Ah," the masked villain's back was still to Toshinori, "Are you confident you have enough room for that maneuver?"

Toshinori frowned and glanced at the chains -

All for One slammed his hand against Toshinori's face, pinning him against the wall in a single movement.

 _Fuck!_ Toshinori grunted in pain, blood and bile bubbling up his throat and into his mouth. He grabbed at All for One's arm, pushing away. His arms shook with the effort, but he only managed to bunch up All for One's sleeve. He readjusted his grip against the villain's bare wrist. His skin was clammy and unyielding. _Holy shit! Get off! Damn it!_

"Are you done?" All for One asked, his voice patronizing.

Toshinori held the villain's arm in a white-knuckled grip, a frustrated noise erupted from the back of Toshinori's throat and he coughed. Pain flared in his sinuses and blood dripped from his nose. His eyes burned a furious blue.

"All bark…" All for One sighed, the sound almost metallic behind his mask.

All for One easily turned Toshinori's head up and to the side, his thumb sliding from the sunken cheek to the jawbone.

"Devour has another interesting trait," All for One said.

Toshinori grit his teeth as the hand squeezed and pressed against his mouth.

 _Shit! Shit! Shit!_ He pushed at All for One's arm with renewed vigor, fingers clawing at the skin, but to no avail.

"With Devour, the jaw develops the capability to unhinge," All for One continued easily, prying Toshinori's jaw open and pressing down, "which you will need to do if you don't want it to break - Ah, like that."

Toshinori panted and glared, his jaw pressed wide open. A strange feeling of painless dislocation pulled at the back of his jawbone.

All for One hummed in satisfaction. He raised his other hand. His forefinger extended as he prepared his Quirk Activation ability.

"It also strengthens the bite."

Toshinori tensed and snarled against the hand press between his teeth, the noise muffled and feral.

All for One brought the finger to the side of his jaw -

 _Don't! Goddamnit!_

\- and pressed.

Toshinori's jaw snapped shut. Bone snapped between his teeth and blood seeped around his tongue.

 _Fuck! Goddamn you!_

Toshinori tried to loosen his bite but his jaw wouldn't budge. His tongue pressed against the back of his mouth, trying to keep the damned blood from his throat, and held his breath.

All for One tilted his head curiously, his forefinger still pressed to Toshinori's jaw. He leaned in closer. Toshinori could see his own harried reflection in the man's mask.

"Your stamina is commendable, but I have the upper hand here."

The edges of Toshinori's vision grew spotty. His diaphragm heaved painfully, and he inhaled sharply through his nose. The second he drew that first breath, All for One withdrew his forefinger and returned control to his jaw.

Toshinori choked and spluttered. He couldn't prevent blood from seeping down his throat. His eyes burned with hate.

 _Damn it all!_

Lips curled in a snarl, Toshinori mentally threw every curse he knew at his enemy, unable to truly voice them. His shoulders heaved as he wheezed, and he wiped the blood from his face and spat.

All for One stepped away, examining his mangled hand.

"Usually when I create a noumu, their minds shatter after the first additional quirk. But you… What a fascinating specimen you are. I expected as much, but to see it confirmed," All for One straightened his rumpled sleeve, "Could it be your contact with the quirk I fathered or your quirkless nature?"

All for One chuckled darkly, "I suppose, I could test that on one other."

Izuku's smiling face flashed in Toshinori's mind, and he lunged forward. _Stay away from him!_

All for One turned his back on Toshinori once again, picked up the half-eaten can from the lower wall. He turned it over in his hand, brushing the jagged edge with the tip of his thumb. He paced to the center of the room and placed it down on the ground.

All for One made his way toward the door and called back, "Perhaps this next quirk will tame you."

Toshinori glowered, his face flushed and breath ragged. He ground his teeth as the door shut.

 _It won't._

* * *

Thank you for reading! Send me a review or PM if you have any questions or comments.


	4. It's a Long Way Down

I do not own BNHA or its characters.

Enjoy Chapter Four of "Canvas"

Cowritten and proofread by aoimikans on Tumblr.

* * *

 **It's a Long Way Down**

Toshinori massaged the back of his left hand, scowling at the quickly healing bruise. At some point during his struggle against All for One, his IV was yanked roughly from his skin. The tube dangled from the IV bag and coiled on the floor. A small puddle had already formed around the tip, the clear solution zigzagging along the grooves between the tiles where it mixed with the blood on the floor. The red tinge flowed like macabre ink, following the solution back to its source, and defiled the small pool.

Toshinori spat into it. He could still taste copper and his breath smelt of rust. Nausea churned in his gut and he let his hands drop to his sides.

 _Damn it… Pathetic._

Toshinori's jaw ached and he rubbed its side, cringing at the memory of All for One's hand pressed against the bone. He felt along the back of the jawbone. His fingers paused at a knot and a dip just below his ear. He frowned and pressed his fingertips against the spot. Slowly, he opened his mouth, feeling as his jaw hitched at one point before he gently moved his jaw back-

 _Oh!_ Toshinori blinked at the feeling of his jaw sliding smoothly out of place before popping it back and closing his mouth. _That's … an odd feeling._

He sighed and plopped down on the ground, leaning back against the wall and resting his elbows on raised knees. He clasped his hands together loosely, rubbing them together absently. He closed his eyes and bowed his head, letting his exhaustion sweep through him. His face still ached where All for One had held him, and his back where it had slammed against the wall. A sorry reminder of how frail his body truly was without One for All.

The memory of his own hands wrapped around All for One's arm flashed behind his eyelids. His fingers were too thin and arms too weak. Rope-like muscles were all that remained of the hero he had been.

He ran his hands up his arms and held his shoulders, resting his chin on top of his crossed forearms. He sighed and shook his head at himself. He never regretted giving his power away, and still didn't. His clenched fist hovered in front of his face, and he furrowed his brows, _Wish I could have gotten in one good punch_.

His face softened, and he felt a small smile pull at his lips.

 _I'm still me after all. All for One can't change that,_ he thought with a quiet laugh. He shook his head and let his hand fall back to his shoulder, _It's the little victories._

There was a light knock at the door.

Toshinori looked up, his small smile growing lopsided with humor.

The door unlocked and swung open. Nurse Isamu pushed it wider with his shoulder as he balanced a food tray and something else under his arm. The young man vibrated with nervous energy as he strode forward and immediately sat in front of Toshinori. He placed the tray down and held out the object he had under his arm.

Toshinori's brows rose. It was a small notebook.

"I had to get a smaller one but no one saw me bring it down." Isamu said as he handed it over with a simple, black pen.

Toshinori took the pen in hand and opened the notebook. Its pages were blank and crisp, brand new. He quickly jotted a note on the top of the first page and turned the book for Isamu to read.

" _Thank you."_

Isamu's expression faltered, "You really shouldn't be-"

Toshinori pulled the book away, writing quickly.

" _Cut that out, young man. I know. You were forced into this. I can tell. Not your fault._ "

Isamu bowed his head and nodded, "I'm sorry."

Toshinori huffed loudly, grabbing the young man's attention. He abruptly hit the top of the nurse's head with the book.

" _Cheer up,"_ he wrote and used his forefingers to push a smile on his face.

Isamu rubbed the top of his head, eyes wide as he stared back at Toshinori.

"You really are All Might…" Isamu mumbled.

A barking laugh burst from Toshinori, making him double over. His handwriting was shaky when he wrote, " _Is that so hard to believe? Young man, I may not look it, but I am most certainly All Might._ "

"Y… yeah." Isamu shifted on his knees, "Um, I brought some stuff from outside the hospital. Picked it up with my bre- food."

Toshinori glanced over the tray. Canned green tea, a styrofoam container with some kind of hearty soup, and another container with a simple salad topped with sliced cucumber.

 _Breakfast, huh? Better than aluminum,_ Toshinori thought with a contented sigh. He jotted down a quick note and passed the book to Isamu before pulling the food tray closer.

" _Tell me about yourself._ " Toshinori looked at the young man expectantly as he popped the plastic lid off of the soup.

"About m-?" Isamu gawked at the note then at Toshinori.

Toshinori nodded, foregoing the plastic spoon and sipping from the small container. Relief flooded him as the taste of copper was overwhelmed by the warm flavors of the soup.

"Well, I - When did that come out?" Isamu suddenly stood, scrambling to collect the fallen IV tube and seal off the drip. He slipped slightly and looked down.

"Oh," he said in a small voice, his face pale. "I'll… I'll clean that up."

Isamu unhooked the IV bag from the pole, taking it and placing it on the counter by the door before stooping to the cabinet below and pulling out some paper towels.

"He was here then?" Isamu asked, tearing squares from the roll and laying them over the spilled IV solution and blood.

Toshinori hummed with a frown, nodding.

"O-oh," Isamu glanced over Toshinori with a careful eye, the same look Recovery Girl gave Toshinori anytime he walked into her office. "Are you … hurt?"

Toshinori shrugged and went back to eating. He heard Isamu pause and sigh, obviously unsatisfied, but the young man continued cleaning the blood away from the floor.

"I -," Toshinori turned at the sound of Isamu's quiet voice, "I wanted to be a doctor."

Isamu collected the wet paper towels and took them to the hazardous waste bin. Then he sat down in front of Toshinori again, rubbing at the short spikes on the back of his neck.

Isamu gave a pained smile and gestured to the row of spikes that ran down his spine, "I was quite the fanboy when I was younger, but my quirk is useless for any type of heroics. I owed it to my parents to live up to the strong name they gave me, so I tried to use my head," he laughed, small and a little self-deprecating, "Studying was rough. Failing was worse… So I changed tactics.

"A few years later, here I am. Not quite a doctor like I planned, but close enough. I still make a difference."

Toshinori gazed at Isamu. He blinked as Izuku's image momentarily superimposed itself on the young man, and he set down his cup of soup. He hummed thoughtfully and picked up the notebook.

" _Your parents must be proud. I know I would be._ "

A stricken look crossed Isamu's face, and he coughed in an attempt to disguise the tears that threatened to pour from his eyes. He rubbed at his cheeks and smiled at the floor.

"You're really too kind…" Isamu said quietly, guilt weighing heavily on his shoulders.

A familiar urge stirred in Toshinori's chest. He wanted nothing more than to relieve the young man's burden. He glanced at the shackles around his wrists and rubbed at his sore hands.

 _I'll need to take care of these first._

"I want to help you."

Toshinori's head snapped up, fixing the nurse with a curious gaze.

"I-I can't do much, and I'm no speech therapist," Isamu fidgeted self-consciously, "But I've tended to patients with throat injuries before. The sounds are still there. We just have to find them."

Toshinori's eyes lit up, beaming with pride. He bent over the notebook to write more, but his fingers and wrist moved stiffly. His brows creased.

 _Am I getting arthritis in my old age?_ He huffed and stretched his fingers, wincing as pain shot up his arm. His joints throbbed.

"Are you alright?"

Toshinori nodded and turned his attention back to the notebook. He paused.

 _What was I writing?_ He gripped the pen tighter as the edges of his vision blurred. He rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his hand. _Not now. Not again._

Sweat dripped down his face, and he shuddered, exhaustion rushing through him. Isamu leaned closer, saying something.

 _What was that, young man? I can't..._

A hand grabbed his shoulder and helped lower him to the floor.

The pen slipped from his grip as his hands shook and cramped painfully. The bone deep ache spread up his arms and coursed through the rest of his body. Toshinori pulled his legs closer as his feet cramped suddenly.

A hand curled inside his own and another rubbed his back as Toshinori shuddered. He squeezed the hand back, fingertips digging into the smaller hand as a spasm wracked him.

 _I'm still me. I'll still be me. Still …_

* * *

Toshinori was on the floor when he woke. He groaned and shivered. Drenched in sweat, his hospital gown stuck uncomfortably to his skin.

 _Damn._ He shifted slightly, glancing around the room.

Isamu was gone and another food tray sat next to the one from the morning.

 _Okay_ , Toshinori rolled slightly and pushed himself up, _I'm alright_.

Something scraped loudly against the floor by his feet. His toes felt … odd.

Toshinori closed his eyes, _Whatever it is, it'll be fine._

He leaned against the wall as he caught his breath, exhaustion weighing heavily on his limbs. With a steadying nod, he looked down at his feet.

 _Oh_. His brows rose slightly and he wiggled his toes, or rather, claws. They curved sharply from his feet, and the tips tapped against the tile floor loudly. _Okay_.

Toshinori reached down to feel the claws and froze. He swallowed roughly, curling his hand into a half-formed fist, wincing at the sharp pricks in his palm.

 _Shit…_

Toshinori laid his hands in his lap, palms up, and slowly flexed his fingers … his claws. They moved stiffly. The skin of his fingers looked hardened, his fingertips stretched and curved to wicked points. He rubbed his fingertips together, frowning at the lack of sensation.

Toshinori shuddered and closed his eyes as he let his hands fall limply in his lap.

 _Fine. Claws. Okay._

Acid curled in Toshinori's gut, a reminder that he hadn't finished eating. He groaned, glancing at the food just out of reach. He nodded with a soft grunt and pushed himself from the wall, reaching out and pulling the tray from the morning - however long ago that was - closer. The soup was covered again by its lid, while the salad remained untouched.

Toshinori fumbled with the lid, his claws piercing through the soft styrofoam bowl, but managed to open it. With a swift motion, he downed the cooled soup, pointedly ignoring the way his jaw felt as it automatically unhinged.

 _Don't think about it,_ he thought as his hackles raised.

Toshinori put the styrofoam bowl down with a little more force than necessary. He reached for the chopsticks, breaking the cheap wood apart and lifted the salad. He tried to hold the utensils correctly, but his claws moved stiffly and he struggled to keep his grip. His hold tightened, and the chopsticks snapped. He tossed them on the tray.

 _Don't think about it._

Toshinori picked at the salad, carefully eating with his claws. They bumped his teeth and clicked against them. His chest burned.

 _Don't think about it._

Toshinori abandoned the half-eaten salad in favor of the tea. He easily popped the top open and drank, relishing in the clean taste. Something normal. Something familiar.

He bit down.

His heartburn eased.

Toshinori stared numbly at his empty, clawed hand.

Something snapped. The room felt far too small, the air too thick.

 _FUCK!_

Toshinori kicked the tray away and curled into himself, clawed fingers carding through his hair and covering his ears. He tucked his head between his knees and took a shaky breath.

 _Stop. Stop it. Just stop…_

His breathing slowed. He vaguely realized his ears felt different, longer and pointed.

 _Don't think about it._

He was tired.

 _Don't think about it._

Exhausted.

 _Don't think about it._

 _Don't think…_

" _Noumu._ "

"All Might… are you there?"

Toshinori's head shot up, and clawed hands clutched the hospital gown at his chest. He panted as he looked around the bright room. He was sure he heard… A memory. Izuku on the phone.

Toshinori grit his teeth. Izuku needed him. He was still the boy's teacher. He had to live for his sake. He promised. He _promised_.

His own words echoed back at him, " _Wanna give up? Wanna take it easy and rest today? You won't make it!_ "

Toshinori's hands stilled and his breathing grew steady.

 _I still have a job to do._

* * *

There was a knock at the door. Toshinori glanced behind him, pulling his claw away from the scratched line in the grout by the chains' base.

Isamu opened the door, dressed not in scrubs but casual clothes. An umbrella stuck out from his jacket pocket and he held a clear IV bag. When he met Toshinori's eye, the young man perked up.

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake!" he exclaimed, placing his hand over his heart in relief.

Toshinori eyed the IV bag and tensed when he saw bandages wrapped around Isamu's hand. An uneasy feeling coiled in his gut.

Isamu closed the door behind him then paused.

"You're really not a fan of hospital food, huh?" Isamu said, but his voice fell flat. The tray Toshinori kicked had collided with the other, littering the floor with the remains of the salad and hospital sandwich. He stooped and quickly swept the food onto a tray and nudged it out of the way. "Good as new."

Toshinori furrowed his brows when Isamu stuffed his bandaged hand into his pocket.

"I brought another IV bag," Isamu said, filling the silence with his chatter. He gestured to the back of Toshinori's left hand where the IV tube had been reattached. "You… you were asleep for a while and I didn't want you to get dehydrated. How're you feeling?"

Toshinori lifted his hands, claws pointed up.

"Oh, yeah… Those are new," Isamu looked away, busying himself with replacing the IV bag on the pole. He pointedly avoided using his bandaged hand.

"Arr-" Toshinori coughed and rubbed his throat.

"Are you okay?" Isamu asked.

 _Are you?_ Toshinori quirked an eyebrow and pointed at Isamu's bandaged hand.

Isamu tensed ever so slightly and forced a smile.

"This?" he raised his hand, "I just cut it on something. It isn't a big deal."

Toshinori huffed, pushed himself up, and towered over the young man. He placed his hands on his hips. _You're a bad liar._

Isamu paled and backed away a step.

"You're… you're a lot taller in person," Isamu said, his voice trembling slightly.

Toshinori snorted, pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead, and laughed. With a shake of his head, he took two steps backwards and sat back down. He pat the floor beside him.

 _Take a seat, young man._

Isamu hesitated then sat beside him with his back not quite against the wall.

"Here," he said, digging into his jacket pocket and pulling out the small notebook. "I couldn't leave it in here."

Toshinori flipped open the notebook and saw the old scribbled messages. He huffed and promptly bopped the top of Isamu's head with it.

Isamu leaned away and spluttered, "W-what was that for?"

Toshinori tapped the previous notes with a claw and shook his head. He tore the page out and crumpled it. Carefully, he pulled the cap off of the pen, fumbling for a moment for a decent grip, and wrote.

" _You put yourself at too much risk already. Don't carry around evidence. Don't get hurt for my sake, young man._ "

Isamu nodded then jolted when Toshinori pat his back.

Toshinori's eyes lit up as he was struck with a thought. He grinned and popped the _evidence_ into his mouth.

"Wh-!" Isamu's eyes went wide as Toshinori chewed and swallowed, grimacing and sticking his tongue out in distaste.

" _Devour Quirk,_ " Toshinori wrote, " _Might_ _as well use it for good. Keep you out of trouble._ " He winked as he drew a line under the word "Might."

Isamu snorted and covered his mouth.

"That's… that's really lame," he said with a laugh.

Toshinori pretended to pout but a smile pulled at the side of his mouth. He gently elbowed Isamu before tapping the umbrella.

" _Raining?_ " he wrote.

Isamu nodded, "It's been raining for a while. There was a pretty bad storm but it's supposed to lighten up. Still," he patted the handle of the small umbrella, "can't be too careful."

Toshinori nodded and jotted down a note, then pulled Isamu's bandaged hand from his pocket. He turned the notebook toward Isamu as he raised the bandaged hand higher.

" _Now tell me about your hand._ "

Isamu sighed reluctantly.

"It was an accident," Isamu said quietly, lowering his hand when Toshinori released it, "You really don't have to worry about it. Just … just really small punctures, that's all."

" _Did I do that?_ " Toshinori wrote, his brows furrowed in earnest.

"It wasn't your fault," Isamu insisted. He flexed his hand and gently massaged it with his thumb. "A part of a nurse's job is to comfort the sick. I was just doing my job when the … your claws developed. You wouldn't get mad at a kid who can't control their quirk yet. It's not their fault if they accidentally scratch you or something. So, it's not your fault. You didn't ask for claws. You didn't ask for any of this."

Toshinori blinked and he bowed his head a little, examining his hands folded in his lap. He held out his palm and pressed the tips of his claws against the softer skin. They were sharp and nearly bit into his skin with only a little pressure. Toshinori frowned and bent over the notebook again.

" _I'm sorry_."

"You really shouldn't be," Isamu said. He pulled his legs up and hugged his knees. "It isn't your fault this is happening to you."

Toshinori huffed slightly, seeing the young nurse's face twist with guilt.

" _You shouldn't be either,_ " he wrote, " _You and I are both in chains. How did you get mixed up with this?_ "

Isamu bit his lip and he looked away from the notebook. He was silent for a long moment, then he let out a shaky breath.

"Wrong place, wrong time," he muttered.

Toshinori waited.

"This hospital used to have a partnering medical lab in the Kamino Ward," Isamu began, "Mostly research and volunteer human trials. With so many varieties of quirks, medication development has to be widely tested before it can be approved for use. They also had the ward for terminal cancer patients. I worked there before that fight in Kamino. I helped make the patients as comfortable as possible, you know, to help ease their passing.

"Well, there was a middle-aged lady who didn't have a whole lot of time left and no family to speak of. I figured I'd visit with her for a while after my shift. And _he_ was there. He and my supervisor. Tetsumi called him Sensei and said he was there to help. I didn't know… She was helping him take that woman's quirk." Isamu hugged his knees tighter.

"This was a few months before the incident at the Kamino Ward," he continued, "Sensei … that _villain_ showed me things. Those noumu. There were so many and they had been _people_. I couldn't tell anyone and I had to keep working there. Tetsumi had me moved to her shift. I'm pretty sure they had me followed when I went home. I don't know how many doctors and nurses worked under him, but I recognized some of the people who worked on the noumu. I didn't want to help them, but … I didn't want him to take my quirk or make me one of those _things_."

Isamu suddenly tensed and looked at Toshinori in horror.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean - You aren't -" he bowed his head in shame, "You're still All Might. You … aren't like the others."

Toshinori frowned sadly and let out a long sigh. He wrote for a moment and placed the notebook on Isamu's head.

Isamu flinched at the soft touch before pulling the notebook in front of him.

" _I am sorry you had to go through that. I am sorry I wasn't there to help you._ "

Toshinori squeezed the young nurse's shoulder, careful with his claws. His grip tightened when Isamu sniffled.

Isamu sat a little straighter and forced a laugh, "You have hero friends, don't you? They've got to be looking for you." Isamu looked at the locked door, "I hope they find you."

He passed the notebook back to Toshinori and turned fully toward him, "Okay. Let's work on getting your voice back. Tetsumi doesn't work this part of the shift, so we have all the time in the world."

* * *

Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi sat at his office desk and rummaged through the files piled haphazardly over its surface, attempting to make some sense of the disorder. Since when had he become so disorganized? Naomasa pinched the bridge of his nose. His gaze strayed to the small file on the right corner of his desk where the mess of papers did not touch. It was too important to be lost.

The phone rang.

Naomasa sighed and forced his thoughts away from the missing person report. He brushed aside the paper on the phone and answered, "Detective Tsukauchi speaking."

"It's Yori from Evidence. You need to see what we found." They paused, "You said to call you first if it's about the Yagi case."

Naomasa was out the door before the receiver clicked back into place.

 _Toshinori…_

A quick trip in the elevator and Naomasa burst into Evidence.

Ryuuko Yori quickly stood and adjusted their glasses as Naomasa entered the room.

"That was fast," they remarked, turning and motioning for Naomasa to follow. "We found the car."

Naomasa's eyes widened, "Wha-? No - Where was it?"

Yori looked back, a scowl on their reptilian face. Their eyes narrowed, "Oh, you'll _love_ this. The perpetrator has quite the sense of humor. It's a complete mockery of everyone's hard work."

 _Oh no._ Naomasa unconsciously picked up his pace as they neared the evidence garage.

The car was parked in the center of the garage, fully intact, not a scratch on it. Flood lights pointed down, lighting up its interior. Lab technicians milled around it, taking pictures and making notes on their observations.

"You want to know where we found it?" Yori spat out with distaste, gesturing to the vehicle as if it wronged them. "It was parked right outside the P.D. We pulled security tapes, but they aren't much help. We're still processing the outside."

"The driver?" Naomasa asked, circling around the car, careful to stay out of the photographer's way.

"Unknown. The street light went out when the car approached last night. Possibly due to a quirk. The cameras only caught the driver's silhouette, which didn't match the description of the escapee. Unless he has some shape-shifting quirk, it wasn't him."

Naomasa nodded grimly, "So, he got someone else to drive it here. What about other evidence? You wouldn't call me down for just this."

"Correct," Yori swiftly put on gloves and opened the back, passenger-side door, "We found clothes, presumably belonging to Toshinori Yagi, in the back here. A coat folded neatly on the seat, and a pair of shoes and socks. There was a small blood stain on the coat's lapel. It's being checked for DNA now."

They shut the car door firmly and led Naomasa back into the lab.

Yori pulled out an evidence bag and placed it on the light table, "We found a note and these clippings in the coat pocket."

Naomasa remained silent, paling as he looked over the clippings, each one a news article describing the capture of "Noumu." USJ. Hosu. Kamino. Dread coiled in his gut. There was no question now. All for One took Toshinori.

He shoved that train of thought aside and swallowed the lump in his throat, "You said you found a note?"

Yori looked him over, and Naomasa saw their tongue test the air nervously. They placed the bagged slip of paper in front of him.

Neatly curved lettering took up the center of the small card.

" _Keep them. I'm making another._ "

Naomasa clenched his fists, and his expression darkened.

"Anything else?"

Yori flinched at Naomasa's clipped question.

"No sir," they said, scaly green brows furrowed in concern, "You'll be the first I call if - _when_ we find anything else."

Naomasa nodded once, "I'll see myself out."

Yori's voice trailed off as Naomasa neared the exit, "We'll find your friend, sir."

Naomasa stopped at the door, hand on the doorknob.

"Thank you, Yori," he said, his voice tense but professional. "Keep up the good work."

Once Naomasa reached the stairwell, the dread held in his gut twisted painfully and emotion surged through him. He braced himself against the wall as his arms and shoulders shook.

Naomasa finally let out a shaky sigh. _Toshinori is alive._

" _I'm making another."_

"Damnit," Naomasa ran a hand down his face, his new hope tainted by what the note and newspaper clippings implied. He covered his mouth as nausea soured his stomach. That first noumu at USJ…

Naomasa's own words haunted him, " _We came to uncover that he has the DNA of at least_ _ **four**_ _completely different people mixed into his own."_

Was Toshinori..?

His gut clenched, and he roughly swallowed the bile in his throat.

"What am I going to tell the kid?" his voice echoed quietly in the empty stairwell.

Naomasa took a steadying breath and furrowed his brow. Righteous fury burned in his chest, fury he and Toshinori shared.

 _No. Focus on finding Toshinori first._

Naomasa's strength returned as he climbed the steps, plans already forming in his mind.

All for One needed a lab for the horde of noumu back in Kamino - an abandoned warehouse. Areas away from the public eye, that was All for One's M.O. Toshinori likely hadn't even left the city with how arrogantly All for One abandoned the vehicle. Narrow the scope. Think.

"Stay strong, All Might."

 _Stay strong, Toshinori. We'll find you._

* * *

Toshinori hummed soft and low, tapping the tips of his claws in time to the rhythm. Humming had been Isamu's idea, a simple way to warm up and loosen his vocal chords. Every now and again his voice would catch and crack painfully, but the more he hummed, the less that happened.

Earlier, Toshinori tried speaking with mixed results. The movements of his mouth and tongue were the same; it was his throat that threw a wrench in his attempts. At best, he ended up croaking syllables and letting out broken groans before his voice snagged painfully. It was a frustrating process, but all things worth doing were.

The lines Toshinori clawed into the wall by the chain bases were growing deeper. If he could just pull the tiles away, he could figure out how best to remove the bases. He glanced at the screwheads he tried to unscrew from the wall. Unfortunately, his claws were not the correct shape. He only managed to strip the head and dull the tip of his claw.

He huffed as a wave of fatigue passed over him and went back to humming, focusing on how his throat felt.

The lock on the door clicked loudly, and Toshinori tensed, his humming silenced.

Nurse Tetsumi walked briskly into the small room, her presence worsening the headache behind his eyes. A small frown tugged at the corner of his mouth but he forced an overly polite smile.

 _Evening, Nurse,_ he thought with mild venom.

"Oh," she deadpanned, meeting his defiant gaze, "You're awake again."

Toshinori shrugged, palms up with a cheeky tilt of his head.

 _I know. Such an inconvenience,_ he wished he could say aloud. He hoped his challenging grin got the message across.

To his surprise, the nurse sneered.

"I see your claws came in. You're looking more like a proper weapon now," her voice sharpened, "That's all you are going to be, noumu. A tool."

Toshinori's hackles raised and his claws twitched slightly. Pain spiked behind his eyes, and he mentally shook off the irritation. Since when was he so temperamental?

After a moment, he leaned back against the wall and gave the nurse an unimpressed look.

 _I've heard worse insults_ , Toshinori thought to himself, scoffing a little at the memories. Most of them came from either Gran Torino or a certain flame hero. "Tool" was tame.

His hackles relaxed and he absently rolled his shoulders at the sensation. He was starting to get used to it.

"The world knows about Sensei's escape now," Nurse Tetsumi said, her back turned to him as she went to the counter and opened one of the high cabinets.

 _Woah,_ Toshinori furrowed his brows, _Where did that come from?_

"There was an emergency broadcast and a press conference. It was quite the scene. The heroes and officials struggled to answer the reporters' questions even though they had days to prepare." She glanced over her shoulder and Toshinori schooled his curiosity, "No mention of you, I'm afraid," her lips curled into a half-smile, "I guess the world's already forgotten the great All Might. Not that a simple noumu would care about that."

Toshinori snorted at her attempt to goad him.

 _You overestimate my vanity_ , he thought with an amused smile. _Besides, I know a few people who have not forgotten me._

Nurse Testumi's eyes flashed with anger, "I wouldn't be laughing if I were you," she stepped closer and leaned into his personal space, "Don't think I haven't noticed when you get all glassy-eyed. Whether you like it or not, you _are_ a noumu."

 _Glassy-?_ Toshinori couldn't help the small, confused frown that tugged at his smile. He tried to think back, but his headache throbbed. Another wave of fatigue coursed through him.

He felt so tired. _Why?_

"There it is," Tetsumi said, dangerously smug, "Noumu."

A small shudder ran down Toshinori's spine and his hackles rose. He hadn't realized he'd moved until his palm pressed against his forehead.

Tetsumi hummed thoughtfully, "But you're still too self-aware. The others succumbed much faster. Then again, they were _volunteers._ They were easier to command."

 _Volunteers?!_ Toshinori's brows rose. _Who would want -?_

"Petty criminals lusting for power. They got what they deserved," she stood, momentarily checking on the IV bag with a pensive frown. "They were given power and were so eager to obey Sensei's commands."

Toshinori watched her carefully, her tone putting him on edge.

"I wonder how long you will last before you want to obey him, noumu."

The edge of Toshinori's vision blurred and a spike of pain drove into his skull. He shook it off. A headache was nothing, but the fatigue…

"Stand, noumu." Tetsumi commanded.

Toshinori grit his teeth against the wave of exhaustion that followed her words but remained seated. He glared up at the nurse.

 _Don't underestimate me. I am still All Might._

But sweat dripped from his fevered brow.

Nurse Tetsumi glared, her lip twisted in a sneer.

"Don't think you're so high and mighty," she said, "You are a noumu created by Sensei. You flaunted your powers as All Might. You should be thankful you have more quirks now. Isn't that what you heroes want? To flaunt your powers?"

 _Where in hell did you get that idea?_ Toshinori gaped at the nurse and shook his head.

"Don't lie! You and the rest play hero while others clean up the mess and the lives you leave behind." She circled around him, getting even closer, and eyed his haggard appearance, " _Heroes_ aren't much better than villains. Civilians out of reach are nothing but collateral damage, aren't they?"

Toshinori pushed himself to his feet.

"N-" _No._ He shook his head, a clawed hand gripping and tearing the material above his heart. _They aren't collateral. Not to me. Not to any of us. We feel every loss._

Toshinori stared down at the nurse, willing her to understand. Whatever her circumstances, she was hurting and embittered. All for One must have seen that in her and used it to his advantage.

Toshinori reached out his hand to place on her shoulder and was abruptly yanked to his knees, chains coiled around his arms. He winced slightly, but looked up at Tetsumi with pity.

"Don't _look_ at me like that!" Tetsumi shouted, voice cracking.

A shudder rushed down Toshinori's spine and his vision blurred.

 _What? I-? Where?_

Someone was shouting.

"There! That's the look! You see? No, no of course you don't. You're a noumu."

 _No? I'm not. I'm -_

Someone's shadow came close. Too close.

His hackles raised.

"Sensei's going to set you loose one day," the person whispered, "You will be the perfect weapon. He's going to use you to strike the heart of that false hero ideology you hold so dear, those youths already too far gone to save."

They paused, "Your precious students won't even recognize you when you tear at their throats."

The world flashed white and tilted.

The scent of blood assaulted his nose. A low rumbling growl came from somewhere nearby.

 _What?_

Toshinori panted, pinned to the wall by his wrists. He shook his head. The growl morphed to a groan in his throat.

 _That was me?_

His arms fell, abruptly released. His claws scraped loudly against the floor as he slumped forward, blinking away the white lights that danced at the forefront of his vision.

Toshinori lifted his head. His brows furrowed. A wide, red smear trailed away from him leading to -

Nurse Tetsumi knelt by the door, pressing her bloody arm close to her chest.

 _How-?_ Toshinori's thoughts felt so sluggish. _She needs help._ There was something terribly wrong.

Tetsumi hissed in pain and laughed, "Point proven."

"Y-" _You need help._ Toshinori pushed himself up on unsteady legs, stumbling back slightly before righting himself.

"It..'s" Toshinori's throat closed and he coughed. He ignored it.

 _It's alright. Why?_ He walked toward the injured woman. _For I am h-_

"Don't come any closer!"

Toshinori took another step forward and reached out with his palm up.

The woman thrust out her hand and a metal grip held Toshinori in place, his hand still outstretched.

It took far too long, but the pin dropped.

 _No…_

Blood, her blood, stained the claws on his outstretched hand. Rivulets of it ran down his forearm and dripped onto the floor. He shook.

 _No. I didn't mean -_

Nurse Tetsumi giggled, "Where did that light go?"

Toshinori looked up, eyes hidden in shadow.

 _I'm sorry._

* * *

Thank you for reading! Send me a review or PM if you have any questions or comments.


	5. Borrowed Time

I do not own BNHA or its characters.

Enjoy Chapter Five of "Canvas"

Cowritten and proofread by aoimikans on Tumblr.

* * *

 **Borrowed Time**

The room was empty and silent again. Toshinori's skin itched. Dried blood pulled at the skin on his arm and fell away like flakes of rust. He wasn't sure how long ago Nurse Tetsumi had pushed the door open and retreated, leaving a scarlet mark on the plain surface, but her metallic scent lingered.

Toshinori ran his clean hand through his hair, claws pulling at the knots in the unruly locks. His other arm hung at his side, a bloodied claw absently traced the grout around a floor tile. He glanced at it, turning his palm up. He frowned and furrowed his brows at the sight.

It wasn't the first time he'd had blood on his hands … but never, _never_ like this. Never without careful consideration. Never outside a life or death situation that called for it. His gut twisted painfully and he pressed his forehead against his knees. Claws pricked his palms as he curled his hands into half-formed fists.

 _Breathe._ He thought, fighting against the fog that crept up on him. He forced himself to take a slow breath and pushed the mental fog to the back of his mind. _Just breathe, Toshinori._

He felt his shoulders relax and the pain behind his eyes ease.

Fatigue weighed heavily on his eyelids and sweat coated his brow. The hospital gown and ridged mane along his spine were damp with it and stuck to his skin. He cringed at the familiar, feverish smell. When was the last time he showered?

He shivered against the room's chill and rubbed at his eyes, letting his hand run down his face. His palm brushed over straggly, blonde stubble and his head fell back against the wall with a grunt. He carefully scratched at the side of his jaw.

 _Wish I could shave._

"Interesting."

Toshinori snapped to attention, hackles raised and teeth bared in a snarl. Blood rushed loud in his ears as his heart hammered and the edge of his vision blurred.

All for One leaned slightly back against the counter, contemplative and silent.

Toshinori's breath rattled and he suppressed a wet cough, gritting his teeth as the throbbing behind his eyes returned with a vengeance. His body ached. Toshinori wiped blood from his lips and remained seated and bent, his stamina at its limit.

All for One hummed thoughtfully, canting his head to the side.

"Are you still fighting against your body's nature, noumu? Such a waste of energy. Although, it appears you are making good progress." He turned and ran his fingertips over the dried blood smeared across the door, "This is promising."

 _Shut up._ A low rumbling came from Toshinori's throat and he swallowed it down. He glared despite his exhaustion. _I'm not a noumu._

"Of course, you have always been violent," All for One continued, "but who knew a simple lapse in control was all you needed to lash out?"

 _You're one to talk_ , Toshinori grimaced, but held his head high in defiance.

All for One strolled forward, pausing when Toshinori's shoulders tensed and claws twitched, "So hostile."

There was a light tapping at the door.

Toshinori tensed, glancing between it and All for One. Dread knotted his insides.

The villain turned slightly and placed his hands behind his back, "Oh? A visitor?"

The lock clicked softly and the door swung partly open.

Isamu pushed at the door with his foot as he struggled to balance cleaning supplies under one arm and a tray of food in his hands. He gave Toshinori a small smile.

"I brought some more food," he let his gaze drop to the floor, to the trail of dried blood, and he bit his lip, "I saw what happened to Tetsumi and thought you might need something."

Toshinori gaped at him and shook his head in warning -

Isamu pushed through the door and stepped inside, "It's not your fau-" He froze and blanched.

"Nurse." All for One greeted neutrally.

"S-Sensei," Isamu swallowed roughly and shook.

"By all means," All for One waved him in, "don't let me interrupt."

Isamu nodded stiffly, carefully dropping his cleaning supplies on the counter, and hastily crossed the room. He placed the tray of food on the ground in front of Toshinori.

"O-oh, um," Isamu stared at Toshinori's bloodied arm, "I'll … I'll clean that off."

He retreated to the counter, giving All for One a wide berth, and grabbed a washcloth. He wet it in the counter's small sink and poured something from a brown bottle onto it.

Toshinori nudged the food tray aside as Isamu returned and knelt.

Isamu's hands shook as he lifted Toshinori's arm. They steadied marginally when Toshinori gave his wrist a discreet, reassuring squeeze. Isamu bit his lower lip and began to gently scrub off the dried blood. The smell of hydrogen peroxide cut through the lingering scent of rust.

All for One canted his head, observing for a moment.

"Strange. This noumu attacked your senior but seems to have taken a liking to you," All for One said with mock curiosity. "Perhaps it is the food."

Isamu tensed and nodded stiffly.

"The… the food … I thought he may need something more calorie dense w-with more protein considering..." Isamu trailed off, sweat beading at his brow as he brushed the blood away. "It's convenient really. I just pick it up on my way to work. It's no trouble a-and no one questions it."

All for One hummed and stepped closer, his polished shoes tapping against the tiles with each step.

Toshinori felt his hackles raise and the low rumble in his throat. The fog at the back of his mind suddenly roiled, and he grit his teeth.

 _Threat!_ The fog overwhelmed him as his pulse spiked.

There was a surprised yelp.

"A-All Might?"

Toshinori blinked, panting. _When did I-?_

He had moved.

Isamu gripped Toshinori's forearm as it pressed him against the wall, shielded behind his crouched, emaciated form.

A wave of fatigue crashed against Toshinori. The room tilted and his knees hit the ground. His whole body shuddered.

A gentle grip pulled him back to lean against the wall.

"E-Easy…" Isamu muttered, feeling Toshinori's forehead and frowning at the heat.

 _Shit_ … Toshinori suppressed a shiver, glaring daggers at All for One as the villain loomed behind Isamu.

"It's awfully protective." There was a smile in All for One's voice, "Perhaps you can be of some assistance."

Isamu paled, his grip on the damp washcloth visibly tightening.

"Tell me, nurse. You've worked with children developing quirks," All for One leaned over Isamu as he resumed scrubbing the dried blood from Toshinori's arm. "What happens when the child comes from parents with multilimb or additional limb mutation quirks?"

Isamu tensed, shaking a little under All for One's shadow.

Toshinori managed to look at Isamu and frowned. Suspicion dropped into his gut like a stone.

"Generally, um," Isamu turned Toshinori's hand, working the cloth between his clawed fingers. He swallowed roughly, "Generally, when they begin to show signs of their quirk, their parents bring them to a clinic or hospital for monitoring."

"Why is that?" All for One asked, his mock innocent tone failed to disguise his morbid curiosity.

 _You know why_ , Toshinori thought with a tired glare.

"Various risks involved in growing mutation quirks," Isamu stated nervously, not daring to glance behind him, "It's just a precaution and most of the time kids' quirks come in fine under a watchful eye … But there are some cases in which a special diet is needed or - or fluids given intravenously to keep them hydrated. In extreme cases, usually small children whose quirks that add significant body mass develop quickly, blood transfusions are necessary. Hospitals generally have those kinds of supplies on hand for those cases."

"And how many of those supplies would you need for an adult?"

 _There it is,_ Toshinori bowed his head, his frown deepening.

"W-" Isamu turned and looked up at All for One, "What?"

"Allow me to clarify," All for One gestured to Toshinori, "For this noumu, how many supplies would be needed to ensure proper limb development?"

"I … don't understand." Isamu's voice shook, "He doesn't have -"

"Answer the question."

Toshinori gripped Isamu's arm in warning. It wasn't needed.

Isamu quickly nodded and cleared his throat.

"Based on his body mass and health, I believe he would need multiple supplements given intravenously, probably blood transfusions. No, definitely blood transfusions." A pleading look entered Isamu's downcast eyes, "Adults' bodies aren't as resilient as children's. An added limb might…"

"I am aware," All for One stated, his voice unhurried, "You will ensure it doesn't die."

"R-right," Isamu's voice was quiet and trembled. He sought out Toshinori's gaze, eyes wide and fearful.

Toshinori gave him a brave smile.

"I had planned on Nurse Tetsumi applying this quirk. She seemed rather eager," All for One lazily withdrew a vial from his suit jacket pocket, "but she is indisposed. Your timing could not be more convenient, nurse. If you would prepare a syringe." All for One held out the vial to Isamu.

The young nurse hesitantly took the vial, careful not to touch All for One's hand. He stood silently, glancing briefly at Toshinori before going to the counter and reaching up into the cabinet.

Toshinori shifted, pushing himself up straight against the wall. His gut churned with nausea but he held himself still.

Too soon, Isamu returned to Toshinori's side and knelt, the syringe filled.

The young nurse paused, tensing in his hesitation.

"Is there a problem?" All for One asked, his voice dangerously neutral.

Isamu shook his head. He sought out Toshinori's gaze.

"I-I _can't_ …" he said in the barest of whispers. "Not to _you._ I c-"

Toshinori held out his arm and nodded at it. _Go on._

Then he glared at All for One who silently retracted the bone spear jutting out from his hand.

"I'm sorry," Isamu whimpered quietly as he rubbed the area with a small alcohol wipe, "I'm sorry, All Might."

The pinch of the needle felt anticlimactic compared to the painful resignation that gripped at Toshinori's insides.

Isamu's hands trembled as he pulled the needle away and pressed a bandage to the spot.

 _That's not going to fix it, young man_. Toshinori blinked at the sad, bitter thought and gave Isamu a reassuring smile. _Ah well … It's the thought that counts._

"To think that self-sacrificing nature of yours could still be exploited," All for One said smugly, "So much for that strength." He bent and took Isamu's shoulder in his hand, "Take this lesson to heart."

"Y-yes, Sensei," Isamu stuttered, frozen under All for One's grip.

"Excellent." All for One pulled away, brushing his palm against his suit jacket. He turned to leave, stopping at the door, "Ah, about those supplies. See Miss Shiire on the second floor. She will provide what you need."

"A-Ayumi Shiire?" Isamu practically squawked, then clapped a hand over his mouth. "I mean, yes. Yes, Sensei."

All for One nodded and pulled open the door.

"This should not need saying, but," he paused in the open doorway, "Failure is not an option."

* * *

Toshinori rubbed the sore spot in his upper arm and cringed at the shudder that ran down his spine. They were becoming more frequent.

 _Holy shit!_ He flinched, gasping through his teeth, as his back spasmed painfully. An ache lingered in his lower back as his muscles finally relaxed. He leaned heavily against the wall, gripping his chains to hold himself up.

Panting and gritting his teeth, he ran a hand down his back, kneading the cramping muscles with this knuckles. He brushed against -

Toshinori pulled his hand away as if it had been burned. A small, choked noise escaped him and he doubled over, head bowed. He dug his claws into his palm, driving away the mental fog, and he took a slow breath.

 _Come on, Toshinori…_ _Face it head on! Plus Ult-!_

Another spasm wracked him, pulling viciously at his scarred side, and he suppressed a pained shout. Blood bubbled up his throat and sprayed out from between his teeth as he coughed.

Toshinori bent further, pressing his forehead against the cool tile floor and let in a ragged breath. His heart labored in his chest, beating against his ribs like a bass drum. The chains slipped from his loose grip and he lowered himself to the floor, groaning as it cooled his fevered skin.

Hesitantly, careful not to strain his throbbing side, he reached around to his back. He ran his hand lower, following the soft line of hair. At the base of his spine, his skin rose in an unfamiliar mound in the center of his back. He pressed and hissed, it felt like a bruise and itched.

Toshinori's spine popped as it _shifted_ under his palm and he shivered weakly. The bone deep ache spread across his pelvis. He pulled his hand away and pressed his palm against his forehead.

 _Think. Keep thinking._ Toshinori swallowed roughly, _Based on … Based on the location it's safe to assume it's a tail quirk of some kind. A tail… Not too complicated. Just an extension of the spine. Just take it in stride. There are worse things._

A odd stretching sensation pulled at the base of his back and Toshinori grimaced, pressing the heel of his hand against his eyes.

"Shh-kt…" _Shit…_ His claws dug into his scalp.

The door opened suddenly.

Toshinori jerked upward, flinching and faltering when his back spasmed.

"All Might!" Nurse Isamu abandoned a medical cart in the hall and rushed in. He knelt and laid a hand on his back. "Easy… Can you show me where you're hurt?"

Toshinori nodded, grimacing as the spasm gripped at the edge of his scars. He gestured briskly to his back before letting his hand return to the floor.

He felt Isamu's hands brush aside the back of the hospital gown.

"O-oh. Okay, yeah." Isamu nodded, nervousness shifting to focus, "Early stage tail development. We actually had twins come in last week with developing tails. I'm going to do a quick examination. Tell me if anything hurts."

Isamu's hands pressed on both sides of Toshinori's spine, carefully feeling around the edge of the mound, over the top, then the sides of his hip bones. He frowned.

"You've got some bone shifting here," Isamu said, whether or not he was talking to himself Toshinori wasn't sure. "Where do you feel you're at on the pain scale?"

Toshinori flashed five then two claws.

"Seven?" Isamu nodded, his lips pressing into a thin line. He yelped in alarm when Toshinori's back spasmed again, "H-hold on a moment, I've got something for this."

Isamu rushed back to the hall, pulling the medical cart inside. After only a moment of searching, he grabbed two long strips of thick cloth. He knelt and laid the strips on either side of Toshinori's spine, clicking something in the corners. Warmth radiated from the adhesive heating pads.

Toshinori relaxed marginally as the spasm eased and the heat drove the chill of the room away.

"Okay," Isamu double-checked the strips and nodded to himself, "I'm going to have you roll on your side. I need to remove your belt and adjust your pants or they're going to get in the way. Think you can do that?"

Toshinori pushed himself to his side in answer, cringing as jolts of pain raced down his legs.

"That's great," Isamu mumbled softly, "You're doing great."

He swiftly unbuckled the belt, set it aside, and let Toshinori return to laying on his stomach.

"Tap my leg if this hurts or is uncomfortable, alright?" Isamu then gently lowered the waistband of the pants to just below the tailbone. "Okay, that's set. Bright side: You won't have a hole in the back of your pants now."

Toshinori snorted quietly. _That's good..._

The nurse leaned back and drew a slow breath.

"I snagged a pillow from the clean laundry…" Isamu said and grabbed the pillow from the bottom of the medical cart, "Here. I'm going to put this under you. Can you lift yourself up a bit?"

Toshinori pushed his torso up, allowed Isamu to slide the thin pillow under his abdomen, and lowered himself onto it with a groan.

Isamu nodded, "Alright. I need to set up a few things. Are you comfortable?"

Toshinori winced at a shift in the deep ache but gave Isamu a thumbs up.

* * *

Toshinori stirred, slowly waking. He flinched at the sharp ache in his back and hips.

"It's okay," said a soft voice, "You just feel asleep."

A familiar beeping reached Toshinori's ears. He blinked blearily and scanned the room. He had to suppress a sigh.

 _Heart monitor._ He glanced at the IV pole. _Blood transfusion. Something else? Probably the supplements._

Toshinori shivered as his attention fixed on his left arm. One tube ended in the crook of his elbow and the other in the back of his hand. The IV fluids were still cool. He could feel them in his arm, sending chills through his veins. He forced his gaze away before the sight dredged up old, unwanted memories.

Nurse Isamu sat cross-legged on the floor at Toshinori's side. He gave Toshinori a tired smile. "How're you feeling?"

Toshinori grunted neutrally, shrugging. He started to push himself up when Isamu put his hand on his shoulder.

"That's not a good idea right now." Isamu murmured, "You're between stages and can hurt your tail if you move around too much."

 _My -? Right…_ Toshinori ran his hand down his face, trying to ignore the odd, nervous flutter in his chest. The incessant beeping of the monitor denied him that luxury, speeding to match his every heartbeat. _Right…_

Something slid over the back of his thigh.

"Shit!" Toshinori jumped in surprise.

"It's okay!" Isamu grabbed Toshinori's arm and put a hand on his back, rubbing circles against his shoulder blade, "That's you. That's just you. You need to lie back down. The bone structure is still mostly cartilage and needs time to harden."

Toshinori's heart hammered in his chest, but he complied. He pointedly looked away from the strange weight against his leg. He wasn't … He wasn't ready for that.

"And hey! That was your first clear word!" Isamu said cheerfully, but there was an edge of fatigue in his voice.

Toshinori glanced at the nurse, his expression softening.

Isamu's scrubs were wrinkled. His black hair was disheveled, one side stuck up with a cowlick. Faint shadows darkened the skin under his eyes like bruises, and he slouched in obvious exhaustion.

Toshinori swallowed, "H...ow l-ng?" Speaking felt like rubbing sandpaper in his throat, but it was easier than before.

Isamu reached behind him and brought out a clipboard. He flipped through a couple papers and tapped the middle of the page, "Last I measured, it was about seventy-six centimeters long. It's developing faster than a usual case, but I guess usual can't be-"

Toshinori patted Isamu's leg and shook his head.

"How… l-long'd I sl… eep?" _How long have you been sitting there?_

"Oh," Isamu quieted, "You were asleep for about nine hours." At Toshinori's wide eyed look, he smiled, "You really needed it. Your body can't handle the changes without rest. And it must be helping because you sound much better. Do you think you can answer some questions? I need to know how well your nerves are developing."

Toshinori nodded tiredly.

"Okay, I'll talk you through it. Um," Isamu smiled awkwardly, "Usually this is exciting for kids and their parents but if you feel uncomfortable, you can take a break."

"Al..r-right," Toshinori replied quietly, mentally bracing himself for… he wasn't sure.

"I'm going to do a few measurements first," Isamu explained, pulling a tape measure from his breast pocket.

Toshinori turned away, fixing his gaze on the crease where the wall met the floor.

His back twitched and the heart monitor skipped.

"Everything okay?" Isamu asked, his gloved hand stilled against Toshinori's back.

"F-fi..ne. Just o-odd." Toshinori muttered. "Pins a-and … needles."

"That's normal." Isamu replied, his relief palpable. "Your nervous system is branching out but it'll take a while for it to fully function. Let me know if you start to feel hot or cold sensations in your tail. That's a good sign of healing."

Isamu pressed against Toshinori's hip bones, "It feels like your pelvis has settled on a pretty standard shape for people with tail quirks. Does it still ache?"

"Fe-els… bruised." The ache was dull and deep, hurting more where his hips pressed against the floor. "I-it's fi...ne."

Isamu nodded, "I'm going to measure the length now."

Pins and needles raced up Toshinori's spine as the weight on the back of his thigh lifted. He heard Isamu hum thoughtfully.

"Eighty-six point five centimeters," the nurse muttered, noting it on the clipboard. "It's making good progress. Given that you are an adult," Isamu furrowed his brow and tapped the page with his pen, "and as tall as you are, it may be safe to assume your tail would be about the same length as your height."

Toshinori's brows rose. _Oh._

Isamu looked up, lost in thought, "Your tail should be fully developed, nerves and all, within a week or so."

Toshinori gagged and tasted blood. _A week?!_

Isamu started, "Are you-? Oh, no. I shouldn't have said that. I really shouldn't ha-"

Toshinori thumped Isamu's knee with the back of his hand, stopping his frightened rambling, and wiped the blood from his chin.

 _What's done is done, young man._ He huffed and glanced at the nurse's disheveled appearance again.

Toshinori sighed, "Rest."

"I'm sorry?" Isamu blinked in surprise, still trembling at his mistake.

"G-go.. rest." Toshinori rested his chin on his folded arms, " 'm fine."

Isamu's brows furrowed in concern, but his refusal stopped before it reached his lips. He quickly covered his mouth as he yawned.

Toshinori smiled softly and gestured with his hand. _Go on._

Isamu gave a weak smile in return and checked his watch, "Alright. You've been stable for a while now. Just don't move around too much, alright? I'll be back soon," He stood up and stretched, rubbing at his lower back and groaning as it popped, "I'll bring some food for the both of us when I get back."

Toshinori nodded and watched Isamu leave the room.

His smile crumbled. The beeping heart monitor filled the silence Isamu left behind.

 _A week..._

Resolve flared in his chest and he shook his head.

 _I can't wait that long._

Toshinori forced himself up, gritting his teeth as pins and needles raced up his back. He gasped through his teeth as the weight of the tail shifted off his thigh. He paused and waited for the feeling to pass.

 _Enough rest. I've rested too long._

With a nod, Toshinori glared at the chain base in the wall. The deep gouges in the grout around the tiles were subtle, hidden against the metal base, but he had memorized every groove. He wedged his claw between two tiles and continued his work. Dust littered the floor, falling away under his claws.

A thought made him pause. _Isamu_ … Toshinori shook himself. He would find a way to save the young man, but only after he rescued himself. He couldn't help him chained to a wall.

 _I'm sorry, young man. I will make this up to you._

Toshinori felt a tile loosen as his nail scraped away at the grout. His brows rose, and his pace quickened. He forced his claw under the loose tile and it popped off the wall with a loud _crack!_

 _Yes!_ Toshinori laughed.

Encouraged, Toshinori grinned fiercely.

He tore away tile after tile, his progress made easier with each removed. In his haste a tile snapped and he slipped, slicing the palm of his right hand.

" _Shit!_ " Toshinori spat.

He slammed his hand against the wall leaving a bloody mark. The healing quirk sent a slow wave of fatigue through him as it mended the wound.

Toshinori groaned in frustration. _I can't_ afford _this right now._

He blinked and shook his head to clear his thoughts. Sweat soaked his hair and ran down his forehead. His breath rattled wetly. The urge to lie down threatened to overwhelm him.

 _No!_ Toshinori grit his teeth, a low frustrated noise rumbled from his throat. He dug at the wall with renewed motivation, claws scraping at the drywall behind the tiles. _Come on!_

 _I need to get out._

His heart pounded in his ears.

 _I need to get back._

Sweat dripped onto the floor.

 _I need to- Oh!_

The drywall peeled away under his claws. He gripped the new edges and tore it down. Debris littered the floor around him. He didn't care. His claws scraped against something hard behind the drywall, and he tugged a larger portion off the wall.

 _… Shit._

The air around him stilled, dust held suspended. The incessant noise from the medical equipment and his own exhausted panting filled the small prison.

 _Concrete._

Toshinori stared numbly at the solid, gray slab and looked down at his claws. Their sharp edges were already dulled. The shadows under his eyes deepened.

All Might could take care of this concrete in a second. But as he was now…

 _I can't stop. Not yet._

Toshinori's back ached. The fog in his mind roiled as another wave of fatigue coursed through him. He faltered, slumping forward. He abruptly shook his head. _No! Not this time! I'm stronger..._

Toshinori slapped his hollowed cheeks. He dug his claws under the chain base, its screws exposed, and pulled.

Nothing. The screws were firmly buried into the solid concrete.

" _Damn_ it!" Toshinori pressed his forehead against the wall. His chest tightened and he coughed. "God _damn it!_ "

 _I promised._

Blood flecked against the wall, and pain flared in his chest. The chains smacked his arms and legs as he dug at the wall and metal base, tangible enemies he could face.

 _I can't lose here. I can't._

He shouted, voice raw with frustration.

The concrete and thick metal screws held, unmoved.

Exhaustion weighed against his body and mind. He sagged, stretched beyond his limits.

Toshinori struck the wall, gripping at the tile and drywall.

 _Come on!_ Toshinori's breath rushed out in uneven gasps. _I need to be All Might one more time. Just this once!_

He grit his teeth and tried to summon his strength. Strength to fight. Strength to _win_.

 _Plus! Ultra! Damnit!_

His back jerked, and he heard tiles shatter behind him.

He froze.

A shudder ran up Toshinori's thin frame. He felt… splinters of tile, the floor stretched out beneath him, the chill of the air against his skin. A sharp shard cut into his skin and he flinched, curling back towards himself until he brushed against his ankle. He glanced down.

 _Tail._

"I decided to stock up on supplies before I l-! All Might!"

Toshinori looked over his shoulder.

 _Ah._ The room tilted. He fell.

"No no no no," Isamu's voice pierced the fog. He appeared above Toshinori, tears in his eyes as he examined him. "No, why did you -? You can't!" His expression froze in terror and he looked away, toward the heart monitor.

Toshinori vaguely recognized the long, unbroken tone. Pain shot down his left arm and his breath shuddered.

His heart was still.

Tired.

 _No, I promised. I'm not … I'm not done._

Toshinori wheezed. Too shallow.

"No no no!" Isamu pressed against the center his chest, "You aren't going anywhere. I'm. Not. Going. To let. You. Die. Okay?"

Something cracked loudly.

"You're All Might!" Isamu was yelling. His voice growing distant and muddled, "You're All Might! You aren't going to die!"

Toshinori's heart finally stuttered, its labored rhythm echoed by the beeping of the monitor. His eyelids fluttered and his vision cleared.

"That's it! Can you look at me?" Isamu beamed. Tears streamed down his flushed face.

Toshinori groaned. He raised a hand to place on the young man's shoulder, but it fell weakly on his chest.

Isamu gripped the fallen hand, "Stay with me. It's alright now."

Toshinori tried to smile, but grimaced as his lungs burned and heart hammered against his ribs.

"Easy. That was too close. I told you not to move. You need to rest." Isamu glanced downward, brows rose in shock. He squeezed Toshinori's trembling hand, "Yeah, you need to rest. Your heart needs to adjust to-," He paused, biting his lower lip, "You're All Might. You can do it. I'll be right here."

Toshinori managed a weak laugh, exhaustion overwhelming him as his ribs mended.

 _Alright, young man. Sorry I didn't listen._

* * *

Toshinori lay on his right side, curled slightly. His heart thumped steadily in his chest, sending tremors across his whole body. His sweat soaked skin was cool, fever long since broken.

 _Just breathe_. Toshinori thought, exhausted. He hadn't moved in hours; regardless, he felt like he had just fought a battle, adrenaline fading and leaving him trembling and weak.

His eyelids drifted shut before he blinked. He couldn't sleep yet.

The fog was still too close.

The fluorescent light had gone dark. The emergency light and medical equipment cast a soft glow on the room. Isamu slouched in the nearby corner, head bowed in sleep, and clipboard still in hand. He had swept away the debris, removed the blood transfusion IV, and given Toshinori an extra pillow to lay on. He had tried valiantly to stay awake, but the day's events had obviously taken their toll.

Toshinori frowned slightly at the sight. The poor young man deserved so much better. Certainly not this.

A soft noise pulled at Toshinori's attention. Rather, a noise and a sensation. He shivered as he recognized the texture of the floor tiles slide against his bare skin. _Right. The tail..._

Curiosity got the better of him, and he tried to feel with his new limb. His brows furrowed. _How do I move this- Oh._

His tail twitched and slid across the cool tile, sending a chill up his spine. _That is_ not _eighty-six centimeters…_

Toshinori closed his eyes tightly and sighed as another wave of fatigue crashed against him. His tail thumped loudly against the floor at his agitation. He jumped and cracked one eye open as Isamu shifted in his sleep. The nurse's expression darkened and he shuddered but did not wake.

Toshinori huffed, _A nightmare?_

Isamu's arm jerked, knocking the clipboard from his lap. He curled in on himself, gripping the hem of his scrubs.

Toshinori longed to reach out toward him, to tell him _It's alright._

His tail suddenly shifted toward the young nurse.

 _Hey, hey, hey. No. Not you._

Toshinori froze as his tail reached a dip in the floor. _What's -?_ He concentrated and pressed down, exploring the space further. His tail fit almost… _neatly_ into the dent.

 _Oh…_ He blinked, brows raising. _I did this._

He pulled the tail away, paying special attention to the way the muscles in the limb moved. He recognized that feeling. _It's strong._

Toshinori stilled, and his eyelids fluttered. He dozed briefly and jerked when his tail touched Isamu's foot. Isamu quieted at his touch.

Toshinori sighed and tried to get more comfortable. _It has a mind of its own, I swear._

His breathing slowly settled, and his eyes closed, exhaustion pressing down on his body.

 _Maybe I'll just… rest._

Something buzzed at the back of Toshinori's mind. He shifted in irritation, too tired to think. _Go away._

The lock clicked.

Toshinori mentally groaned as the fog rolled in. All for One's familiar footsteps entered the room, halting at the room's center.

 _Not now. Not like this._

Toshinori couldn't move.

"Quite the progress, Noumu." All for One's voice rolled like molasses, thick and suffocating.

 _Shut up._ Sweat beaded on Toshinori's forehead as the fog pushed against the back of his eyes, threatening to engulf him. He vaguely registered his tail twitching with agitation _._

All for One stepped closer, "Ah, you're awake."

 _No shit._ Toshinori longed to press the heel of his hand to his forehead as he fought for control. He beat the fog before, and he could do it again.

"Noumu. Look at me."

A spike of pain lanced through Toshinori's mind, and his hackles rose. He had just enough strength to resist. He glared at his weakly shaking fists, dulled claws pressing into his palms.

All for One hummed and tapped his foot, "Your body is warped, strength lost, yet your mind still resists.

"Surely you've noticed your control slipping. You don't have much time left. You've lost. _Accept it._ "

Toshinori suppressed a groan. The monitor echoed his pounding heart, and his vision clouded.

 _No._

Something brushed against the middle of his tail.

All for One chuckled, "So close. What would Nana Shimura think if she saw you now? Or your successor?

"Powerless," the heel of All for One's shoe dug into Toshinori's tail, "Broken."

Toshinori didn't - couldn't - respond. He could only grimace at the pain in his new limb.

When All for One lifted his heel, Toshinori's tail slowly scraped across the floor and curled around his body. He saw the blonde tufted end of it through half-lidded eyes.

A smug aura oozed from his sworn enemy, "Almost there."

Then All for One was gone.

Toshinori released a shuddering sigh. He looked toward Isamu, still sleeping in the corner, thankful the young nurse was beneath All for One's notice.

 _If anything had happened…_ He shook this head.

The fog in his mind settled, losing traction without All for One's presence. The void of sleep crept up on him instead.

Toshinori shivered, cold settling into his bones. He felt small.

 _Master…_ _Lend me your strength._

* * *

Toshinori dreamt. Early morning fog suspended low and still in the dips of a wide, rolling field. The violet glow of predawn illuminated a sea of yellow flowers. He felt a strong hand on his shoulder, and a warm spring wind drove the fog away.

"Um… All Might?"

Toshinori stirred. He wasn't ready to leave yet.

"Are you … awake? I can't move."

Toshinori groaned and blearily opened his eyes. The room was still dark, dimly lit by the medical equipment and emergency lights. He furrowed his brow. He was already sitting up?

"All Might?"

Toshinori turned.

Isamu was huddled in the corner. He smiled awkwardly and gestured downward. Toshinori's tail was wrapped around the nurses legs, trapping him in place.

Toshinori's brows rose, his gaze following the long limb. Isamu had been right, it must be as long as he was tall and at least as wide as his thigh. The ridged mane extended halfway down its length and curled back around toward- Toshinori twisted, careful of his scars, and glanced downward. The tail extended seamlessly from the base of his back.

 _I'm not sure what else I expected_ , Toshinori thought, running the back of a claw from his back to his tail.

Toshinori jumped when Isamu patted his tail. The nurse smiled apologetically, "I, uh, I can't feel my toes."

"S-" Toshinori's throat hitched and he coughed. A dizzy spell rolled through him and he pressed his palm to his forehead. "Sorry."

"It's alright," Isamu said as he pulled his legs from Toshinori's loosened grip. "It gave me a chance to do a quick examination. It's, uh, fully grown and healthy, which considering its accelerated development is pretty fantastic. It has some impressive muscle mass too... All Might?"

Toshinori shuddered and blinked, refocusing on Isamu, " 'm sorry…" He forced a breathy laugh, "Guess I'm st..ill tired."

Isamu frowned and nodded, then flashed a smile, "How about I go and get us some food? I'm sure you could use something more than IV fluids."

Toshinori opened his mouth to respond and realized how parched he felt.

At the thought of food, Toshinori's insides twisted and his throat burned. The tip of his tail twitched as he grimaced, and the involuntary movement grabbed his attention.

He frowned. A tuft of long, unruly, blonde hair covered the tip of the tail. The color was familiar, but the placement was wrong. His brows furrowed as his tail swept lazily across the tile.

An odd feeling pulled at the back of his mind.

 _Am I forgetting something?_

A hand waved in front of his line of sight.

"-t, can you hear me?"

Toshinori blinked. He looked up and tried to focus on Isamu's face, "Hmm?"

The lights were back on. Isamu was kneeling in front of him.

The nurse smiled uncertainly, "I said I need you to move around a bit. Just some stretches to work your muscles. It'll help with the soreness. You've been lying on the floor for a while. Then… then I'll go get some food."

"O-okay." Toshinori shook off the mental fatigue, dismissing his short lapse of attention.

 _Just tired. That's all._

Isamu sighed in relief, "Great! Would you like to try and stand?"

Toshinori nodded. He shifted his weight to stand only to falter and fall back.

"Woah! You're alright, I got you," Isamu helped Toshinori right himself, wrapping his arm around Toshinori's thin back, "Your balance is going to be off. Just… You can lean on me, if you want."

Toshinori sent Isamu an apologetic glance and focused on his feet as Isamu pulled him upright. He paused while the room tilted then took a shaky step forward. His knees buckled. He started and grabbed the IV pole, trying not to fall.

"Easy, I'm right-!" Air whooshed from Isamu's lungs, and Toshinori looked back.

His tail had wrapped itself firmly around Isamu's stomach, and Isamu pulled backwards to brace himself so that they both wouldn't fall over. Toshinori's eyes widened with alarm as he struggled to loosen his grip.

When his tail dropped to the ground, Isamu grabbed his stomach and doubled over, shaking.

 _Young man! Are you-?!_

Peals of laughter escaped from Isamu's lips. He held out a hand, "Hold-! Hold on!"

Toshinori stood, stunned, as Isamu laughed hysterically.

"I'm sorry! I was _not_ expecting that! Wow!" Isamu rubbed at his back, "What a grip!"

Isamu wiped tears from his face and tried to stifle his giggles, "Hey! Look at you! You're standing!"

Isamu's mirth was infectious. Toshinori snorted and smiled, his tail swishing energetically. He closed his eyes and took a calming breath. His heart felt lighter.

Isamu took a deep breath and sighed, "Okay, okay. I'm good."

He wiped away one last tear and held out his hands, motioning for Toshinori to move forward, "If you feel stable enough, can you try walking around a bit?"

Toshinori hesitated, taking a moment to feel out his balance which shifted as his tail lazily swung from one side to the other.

 _You aren't helping_ , he glared at the long tail. It twitched and suddenly swung to his left and he stumbled. His shoulder roughly hit the wall and his tail tangled in the chains. A hand grabbed his right arm. Annoyance flared in his chest and Toshinori growled.

"A...All Might?"

Toshinori tensed. He swallowed roughly, silencing the low growl, and rubbed at his throat.

Isamu moved in front of him, gently holding Toshinori's arms. The nurse examined his face, brows furrowed, "Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

"I… Yes?" Toshinori shook his head. He pushed off the wall and gestured at his tail, still wrapped loosely in the chains. "I just ha-ave to get u..sed to this."

Isamu nodded but still looked uncertain.

"Here," He bent and quickly untangled the chains from around Toshinori's tail.

Toshinori cracked a tired smile and clumsily swatted Isamu's face with the tufted end, earning an indignant splutter from the nurse.

Isamu looked up, "You did that on purpose."

Toshinori's smile grew, not remotely guilty.

Isamu pushed the last chain out of the way and stood, his expression relaxed.

"How about you stay close to the wall for now," the nurse said with a smile, "At least, until you get more control over your balance."

There was a low gurgling and both Isamu and Toshinori looked down. Isamu blushed and pressed a hand to his stomach.

Toshinori huffed a laugh and gave Isamu a playfully stern look.

"When d-id you la...st eat?"

Isamu's blush deepened and he shrugged.

Toshinori shook his head and nudged Isamu toward the door, "Go get so-me fresh air and food." He carefully sat back on the floor, adjusting his chains, "I'll be here."

Isamu's smile faded, "Right… Um, I'll bring some food back."

Toshinori flashed him a thumbs up before carefully stretching his sore limbs.

"Right…" Isamu mumbled as he locked the door behind him.

Toshinori smiled crookedly at the door then continued to stretch, groaning at the knots he'd neglected. He should have known not to try to move much before stretching. He'd told young Midoriya much the same…

His hands dropped back into his lap.

 _Midoriya…_

Toshinori missed him. The poor boy was probably beside himself with worry… It was in his nature.

He sighed, his tail curling around himself and over his crossed legs. Hesitantly, he rested his hands on it, absently running his fingers into the line of unruly hair.

 _What would Nana Shimura think if she saw you now? Or your successor?_

Toshinori frowned and pushed the thought away, claws pressing into the flesh of his tail.

 _Your body is warped, strength lost..._

"Stop i-it," Toshinori scolded himself. Midoriya wouldn't -

Something knocked against the door and Toshinori looked up.

Isamu pushed the door open, two plastic bags in hand.

"Back al..ready?" Toshinori asked, glancing curiously at the puffy coat and the convenience store bags. He grinned when he recognized the logo, "You di..dn't have to rush."

Isamu closed the door and glanced back at Toshinori, "Rush?"

"You we-ere only gone for a f..ew minutes." Toshinori said, brows furrowing in confusion at Isamu's serious expression.

"A few-?" Isamu bit his lower lip, "All Might, I was gone for over an hour."

* * *

They ate in silence, the quiet broken only by the rattling of chains.

Toshinori lost time twice, awareness slipping away and back again without his notice. He only lost minutes, Isamu promised him, but the nurse couldn't hide his haunted expression behind false smiles.

Each time Toshinori came back to himself, Isamu was more subdued.

The nurse had said to rest, that Toshinori's mind was just under stress. The physical changes were bound to put a great amount of strain on him. He'd done better than others…

Isamu stared down at his half-eaten meal, absently poking at it as it grew cold, "It'll probably improve with sleep."

Toshinori offered him a small smile and nod.

 _You're a bad liar, young man..._

The fog pressed closer, and Toshinori shuddered under its suffocating weight.

When he opened his eyes, he had moved and Isamu was gone.

Toshinori jolted, glancing around as he quickly stood. Too quickly. His legs and balance failed him.

 _Shit!_ He tumbled onto his side, his elbow slamming into the unforgiving tile and his scarred side clenching painfully. He rolled and, groaning, gingerly pressed his hand against his scars. Blood seeped between his teeth and he spat. Frustration flared painfully in his chest and Toshinori ground his teeth, unable to silence the gurgling growl in his throat. _Damn it_.

The hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end. Toshinori whipped around and flinched away.

All for One stooped over him, too close.

Toshinori's tail slammed against the floor and a wordless snarl ripped from his chest as he backed away, heart hammering.

All for One straightened, watching as Toshinori's eyes cleared slightly.

 _Holy shit._ Toshinori suppressed a shudder, breath rasping. He swallowed at the burning in his chest. He hadn't meant to react like that… He shouldn't have… That was -

"Ah, he returns," All for One paused, thoughtfully canting his head to the side, "But for how long this time? I can see you fading already."

Toshinori's hair bristled, and his tail swept back and forth angrily. His sworn enemy's voice grated on his nerves.

All for One chuckled, "Threat displays already? How much of you is left in that husk?"

Toshinori's brows furrowed, and he glanced back at his tail. _Threat... dis-?_

"You didn't even realize?" All for One brought his hands together with a clap, "How delightful!"

Toshinori bit back an irritated snarl as the fog pressed against his consciousness. His claws scratched at the tile floor as he moved away from the masked villain.

 _No._

All for One took a step towards him, "Not long now."

Toshinori's vision clouded. He shook his head roughly, raising a clawed hand and pressing it to his forehead.

 _No! Back off! Think!_

All for One continued, ignoring him, " _You_ will simply cease to exist, and _I_ will have my Noumu. _"_

A shadow passed over Toshinori. He crouched lower, growling.

A hand reached towards him, inching closer and closer.

 _Too close!_

 ** _CRACK!_**

All for One stumbled to the side, bent under the forceful impact. Slowly, he brought up his hand and felt along the jagged edge of the hole left in the side of his mask. Ventilation tubes hung loose and hissed.

Toshinori's jaw dropped, eyes wide as he watched his sore tail curl back toward himself.

 _Strong…_

Toshinori smiled wide and laughed. His mind was clear and his eyes bright as he glared triumphantly at All for One.

"Sm..ash."

* * *

Thank you for reading! Send me a review or PM if you have any questions or comments.


	6. Breaking Point

I do not own BNHA or its characters.

Enjoy Chapter Six of "Canvas"

Cowritten and proofread by aoimikans on Tumblr.

* * *

 **Breaking Point**

Toshinori distantly felt hands grip his shoulders, lifting him off the floor and gently laying his head on something soft. The back of his head and neck throbbed and sent spikes of nausea into his gut. A noise, high and loud, rang in his ears.

"-ight? All M-ht? C- you -en your eyes for me?"

Toshinori winced away from the too loud voice, head pressing back against the soft surface. Another throb pressed like a vice against his skull and forced a groan from his lips.

 _Hurts!_ Claws gripped at tile and air.

Blood surged up his throat, and he choked.

The gentle grip pulled Toshinori's shoulder up and rolled him on his side. He coughed, body shaking under the force of his hacking until his lung was clear of the bloody congestion. He gasped miserably, waves of fatigue crashing through him and leaving him trembling.

"That's it. Get that out of your system," the voice above him was soft, as was the hand that rubbed circles on his back. "I need you to open your eyes for me, alright?"

Toshinori managed to crack one eye open, wincing at the too bright light that waved in front of it. His eyes watered and he squeezed them shut.

Moments later - or minutes? Had he dozed off? - something warm and damp brushed at the back of his head. A jagged, swollen line stung and itched before numbing. The warm cloth dampened his hair and brushed down his neck, cleaning the clumps of hair that stuck together and smelled of copper and rust.

"What happened? Do you remember where you are?"

Toshinori carefully opened his eyes. Light sent another spike of dizzying nausea through him, and he forcefully swallowed it down.

Nurse Isamu bent over him, blocking the majority of the ceiling light. His brows were drawn with worry as he examined Toshinori's face.

Toshinori's gaze shifted slowly to focus on the wall and the large, rounded dent in the cracked tile. A dark smudge marred the tile and grout, and streaks of crimson dripped from its center.

A small, pained smile pushed past Toshinori's grimace.

 _I made him mad._ His laugh sounded more like a weak cough. Pain lanced through his skull at the small movement. He shut his eyes and held himself still until it passed.

 _Ah, still worth it._

Suddenly, there was a loud _click,_ and Isamu turned toward the door.

"N-nurse Tetsumi?" the warm cloth pulled away, "What -?"

The sound of chains dragging loudly across the tile crashed against Toshinori's sensitive ears. He winced, riding out the throbbing pain, and willed himself not to vomit.

"Move." The older nurse stood over Isamu, her voice cold as she commanded her junior.

Isamu moved only slightly, carefully positioning himself behind Toshinori's head.

Toshinori grit his teeth as Nurse Tetsumi abruptly pushed his legs to the side. A cold and heavy shackle clamped around the middle of his tail and sent a chill across his fevered skin. Two more clamped tightly around his ankles.

"That's… that's really not necessary…" Isamu muttered.

"It is," was Tetsumi's clipped reply. She lifted her arm, bandaged and in a sling, "You want the noumu to attack you too? It's only a matter of time."

Toshinori's brows furrowed, watching as Tetsumi gingerly pressed her arm back to her chest. She pointedly avoided looking him in the face.

 _She's afraid of me,_ he realized. Pity and anger collided in his chest, unresolved.

 _I feel sorry for you,_ said one.

 _Villains can wear pink scrubs,_ said the other. _If it were anyone else in my place-_

Isamu shook his head, "He wouldn't."

"Oh?" Toshinori heard the venom that dripped from Tetsumi's voice, "And how do you know that won't change? He's fading."

Isamu's hands, still gently washing away blood on Toshinori's shoulders, slowed to a stop.

Toshinori scoffed, startling both nurses.

" 'm still he..re," he said with a shaky grin and gave Tetsumi a cheeky wink.

The nurse looked petrified before she schooled her expression and scowled.

"Not for long," she stated. With a swift wave of her uninjured hand, the new chains snaked up the wall and secured themselves to the bases. "You're already showing advanced stages. You are a _noumu_ , a danger to everyone around you until the rest of _you_ is gone."

Toshinori shook his head, grimacing when his migraine worsened.

"Try not to move too much," Isamu said softly, holding his head still between his hands. "You have a concussion."

Toshinori hummed neutrally, "W-wouldn't be... the fi-irst time."

Isamu cracked a small smile above him.

Tetsumi abruptly stood, not quite able to hide her contempt.

"Nurse Isamu, let me remind you this is a noumu, not a patient." She glared and gestured at the damage in the wall around the chains' bases. "That should be evidence enough."

"That's because patients aren't prisoners," Isamu muttered darkly.

" _What_ did you say?" Tetsumi glared down at the young nurse.

Isamu didn't meet her gaze, but his expression hardened.

Toshinori recognized that expression, and pride stirred in his chest.

 _Stubborn. Good man._ Then worry flared behind his migraine. Isamu was not a professional hero trained for fighting. He was a nurse, meant for healing. Toshinori nodded back against Isamu's hands and gave him a cautious frown. _Be careful…_

A shudder suddenly ran down Toshinori's spine and he tensed. It was a far too familiar feeling.

 _Shit… Another quirk? When-?_

He flinched as his migraine spiked and the fog reared its ugly head, swiftly eating away at his consciousness.

"See?" Toshinori heard, "It's only a matter of time."

* * *

Consciousness and pain roared back with a vengeance. Toshinori gasped and and his back arched. Clawed hands shot up to cradle his head. _Agony_.

He heard a wordless, inhuman moan. Too close. Too loud. It tore at his throat.

Toshinori shuddered as the ache marginally eased and carefully opened his eyes.

An electric pain hammered against his retina and through his skull. He squeezed them shut again and rolled away from the too bright light.

He couldn't _see._

Couldn't _think_.

 _Hurts…_

Toshinori tasted metal. He'd bit his tongue.

Curling in on himself, he covered his face. Nausea clenched in his gut as his chest burned. His arms and hands shook as they pressed against his eyes. Wet streaks lined his hollow cheeks.

" _F-_ " _Fuck! Holy shit!_

His tail thrashed and legs kicked out fitfully, and his chains crashed against the floor. The noise drove pain like nails into the sides of his skull.

 _Stop!_

 _Please! Just hold still._

 _Don't move._

Claws dug into his scalp. They felt sharp again.

There was a pinch in his arm.

A voice.

A hand pulled at Toshinori's clawed grip on his scalp.

He shuddered as he was pulled into fitful sleep.

* * *

 _Wrong._

Toshinori woke slowly. His head throbbed, dull and fading, just a lasting echo of the pain. He shivered and rolled onto his stomach, the muscles around his scar twitching at the tiles' touch. The floor was cold beneath him and he felt stiff.

Cautiously, he cracked open his eyes. It was dark.

"All Might?"

Toshinori's ears perked.

"All Might," Isamu's voice was quiet, "Are you there?"

Toshinori groaned, his voice rough and throat raw. He managed a small nod before pressing his face to the soothing cool tile.

He paused. A dark cloth covered his eyes.

Before he could reach up for it, he felt a hand on his wrist.

"You should leave that on for now," Isamu said, subdued.

 _Wrong._

Toshinori frowned, confusion tensing his gut.

"Wh..y?" Toshinori cracked a weak smile, " 's it my face tha-at changed this time?"

"No!" Isamu said quickly. "Your face is the same as before!"

Toshinori chuckled and coughed, "J-joking."

"O-oh," Isamu stuttered. He paused and sighed, "The blindfold is there to block the light. It hurts your eyes."

Toshinori nodded, vaguely remembering the burning pain. His eyes still ached.

"Here," Toshinori heard Isamu stand and walk away, "Now that you're awake I can -" There was a sharp _click_ , "Okay, you can take it off."

After giving the blindfold a quick tug and ignoring the way it brushed past the pointed tips of his ears, Toshinori blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light in the room.

"The li-ight's not s-so bad," he said, pushing his torso up a little and glancing around. He frowned a little at the subdued, almost gray surroundings, "Exc..ept I might be co-olorblind now."

Isamu shifted in his spot by the door, blinking rapidly and squinting a little. Then the nurse met his gaze and tensed.

Toshinori furrowed his brow, "Everyth..ing alright?"

"Your, um, your eyes," Isamu shifted, still staring nervously at Toshinori, "They're reflecting… I'm pretty sure you have night vision."

 _Night -?_ Toshinori glanced up at the ceiling light. It was off. He looked at Isamu again, who was carefully making his way across the room. "It's dark?"

Isamu lower himself to the floor nearby, "Yeah."

"Oh."

Toshinori shifted, pushing himself up to sit and -

 _Wrong!_

He froze, hackles rising.

Toshinori's arms and legs felt wrong.

"All Might?" Isamu leaned forward, cautiously reaching out. "Are you alright?"

"I-it's not just my eyes." Toshinori stated, awkwardly pulling his legs in front of him. They were the wrong shape.

Isamu shifted and looked blindly at the ground. He was quiet, then he sighed, "No. It's not."

Toshinori held out his arms, turning them. They were slightly longer and he could feel new, lean muscle under his skin.

He turned his attention lower and paused. Since when were his pants torn at the knee? He sighed and shook his head. _Hardly matters now…_

Gingerly, Toshinori ran his hands down his legs. His thighs and calves felt nearly the same, though his knees felt odd. Then he reached his ankles, or what had been his ankles. The bone structure had completely shifted. His feet were equally changed, longer and broader at the base of his clawed toes.

Toshinori jolted.

 _One, two, three, four, f-?_

He swallowed and ran a hand back up the inside of his mutated foot. Halfway up, he brushed against the last claw.

 _There it is…_ he sighed.

"Are you okay?" Isamu asked.

Toshinori nodded absently, forgetting Isamu was nearly blind in the dark.

"I thi-ink so," he shifted, getting the balls of his feet under him, "Can y..ou help me stand?"

"Yeah," Isamu moved to his side, and Toshinori gripped the nurse's shoulder. "Easy. Take it slow." Isamu wrapped his arm around Toshinori's back.

Toshinori's legs trembled and claws scraped loudly against the floor as he pushed himself up. He winced, free hand pressing against his hip. A dull pinch flared in the joints where his legs met his pelvis.

"Nearly there. You've got this," Isamu said, straightening slowly.

 _Wait. Hold on…_ The pain worsened and his legs shook, claws curling and gripping at the tile.

Toshinori flinched, hand slipping from Isamu's shoulder, and stumbled forward. He threw out his hands, arms jarring at the impact against the floor.

"All Might! What's-?" Isamu reached forward, but stopped when Toshinori held up a hand.

"Just.. a moment."

Toshinori's scar twinged, and he took a steadying breath, stifling the cough in his throat. His hand return to the floor, slowly flexing his claws in time with his breathing. Without a thought, his legs bent softly and relaxed.

He stilled.

Toshinori's hips didn't ache.

He felt lighter. Balanced.

 _Oh. Holy shit..._

Toshinori stared at his hands, then took a hesitant step forward, brows furrowing as the next steps followed naturally. Right arm, left leg, left arm… His chains rattled as they dragged across the floor.

Toshinori's breath shook, and he shuddered. He moved his right leg forward, and it caught, chain pulled taut. His tail drooped, curling under his legs.

 _Wrong._

It wasn't just his legs. His whole body felt wrong. Eyes, jaw, spine, organs, limbs, claws, tail ... They were his but they weren't _his._ They felt _foreign._

The shackles bit into his skin.

He was trapped and chained like a caged -

 _Animal…_

"-ight? You're hyperventilating."

Toshinori's focus wavered. The fog returned, easily rolling over his attempts at control.

He closed his eyes and shivered.

"All Might? What's wrong? Please..."

Toshinori looked up at Isamu, gaze lingering on the worried lines in Isamu's brow. He slowly sat down, hair covering his face for a moment. He smiled weakly.

"It's a-alright. I'll be…"

He felt it, the creeping fog lulling him into unconsciousness.

 _No, wait. There was someone I..._

 _Was there something I forgot?_

"All Might, please."

A pause.

"Don't leave me here alone…"

 _Leave? No, I-..._

 _Rest._

 _Just rest._

* * *

The alarm was shrill and loud on Isamu's nightstand. Its face displayed the time: 5:50AM. Isamu rubbed his eyes and got up from his desk. With a defeated sigh he silenced the alarm.

His shower was hot and too short, but he didn't have time to stand in the steam. He briskly got out, wrapped a towel around himself, and wiped the fog from the mirror.

 _Noumu!_ Isamu jerked backward, heart pounding, and he slipped, falling onto his side with a breathless grunt.

He groaned, rubbing at his back and checking the short spikes along his spine to ensure none were knocked loose. They weren't supposed to shed for another month. When they checked out fine, he sat up and ran a hand through his hair.

 _Still there. Still human._

His nightmares were becoming too vivid and far too frequent. They all ended with Sensei standing over him and holding a mirror. A noumu was always there, staring mindlessly back at him.

He woke up screaming every time.

Isamu stood and wiped the rest of the fog away, trying to ignore the bruise-like shadows under his eyes. A cold compress would do wonders for it, but he didn't have the time. He settled for splashing his face with cold water.

He stepped back into the bedroom of his small apartment and changed into fresh scrubs.

His last clean set.

"Crap," he ran a hand down his face, fatigue already weighing heavily on his mind. He'd gotten so behind on laundry and … practically everything else.

 _I'm so_ fucking _tired…_

Coffee helped.

At his usual bus stop, Isamu clung to his thermos like a lifeline and pressed his face into his scarf. The early morning was cold and crisp, and an autumn wind nipped at his ears. He sighed, breath puffing out in a little cloud.

"Sato?"

Isamu jumped at the sound of his last name and nearly dropped his thermos.

"Isamu Sato?" A middle-aged woman clapped her hands together and smiled, "I haven't seen you in the neighborhood for a while! I thought you might have changed shifts on me."

"G-Good morning, Mrs. Shimizu," Isamu mumbled, trying his best to give his friendly neighbor a convincing smile. He failed.

"You look exhausted!" Mrs. Shimizu's brows raised in motherly worry, "They aren't overworking you at Rishi Gen, are they?"

"No… no, I'm alright," Isamu jokingly held up his thermos, "I've got my pick-me-up."

Mrs. Shimizu clicked her tongue. She shook her head and dug through her large bag.

"Make sure you're eating properly, young man." She pulled out and shoved a small paper bag at him, "Here. I've had one too many muffins, and you look like you need it more than I do."

Isamu spluttered and held out a gloved hand, "I c-couldn't-!"

She waved away his refusal and insisted, "Of course you can, here."

Isamu rushed to catch the bag before it dropped to the ground and mumbled a quick thank you as his bus pulled up to the curb.

"Have a good day!" Mrs. Shimizu called to him as the bus doors closed, "Save some lives!"

"Yeah…" Isamu slumped into his usual seat.

* * *

The morning was long and draining. A villain attacked a group of students in the nearby shopping district. Thankfully, none were badly wounded, and they were only brought in for patching up and counselling. A brightly colored trio of support heroes stayed with them. They spoke with Isamu briefly, exchanging pleasantries and thanks for each other's help.

It took _everything_ to act normal.

 _But is it worth it?_

Before he could decide on the answer, his chance slipped away. The heroes departed with their signature farewell and well wishes, leaving Isamu with the question sitting in his throat like a cold, heavy stone.

Around 11AM, Isamu went on his break. His stomach grumbled loudly as he made his way toward the break room, remembering the muffin he left in his locker. He cringed slightly when he spotted Ayumi Shiire exiting the room, a book and dishes in hand. She glanced up, meeting his eye and gave him a knowing look. She smiled.

Turning quickly to avoid her, Isamu decided the muffin could wait. He needed to pick up something for All Might anyway.

He swiftly made his way out of the building and walked to the convenience store nearby. The cool, fresh air cleared his thoughts, and he allowed himself a small smile.

 _Maybe he would like something warm…_

Isamu went with steamed pork buns and canned green tea. As an afterthought, he picked up taiyaki on his way back. Bags in hand, he went around the main building of the hospital, toward the old wings and quickly found the basement door.

Dread twisted in his stomach as he descended the short set of stairs and stepped into the chilling shadow of the old wing. Dead leaves had gathered at the bottom of the stairwell, twitching as a breeze curled around Isamu's legs. He shivered.

 _I should be used to this…_ he thought, frowning and swiping his key card through the mechanical lock.

Isamu stepped into the darkened hallway and briefly looked over his shoulder as the doors shut behind him with a loud _click._ His shoulders sagged when no one followed him in - from relief or disappointment, he wasn't sure.

There was only one more door, fifth down and on the right. The only door with light shining from beneath it, barely illuminating the hall floor.

Isamu knocked softly before twisting the deadbolt and pushing the heavy door open. He frowned and sighed when he looked to the opposite side of the small room.

All Might hadn't moved. He sat where Isamu left him, slouched against the wall and facing away from the IV pole. His ears twitched when the door shut behind Isamu, but his eyes were closed tight.

 _Tetsumi…_ Isamu thought bitterly, glancing at the new IV bag.

"Sorry," Isamu sighed, turning the light off, "That's better, isn't it?"

Isamu paused a moment while he got used to the low light, then crossed the room. He sat beside All Might, placing his plastic bag of foodstuffs between them.

"Hey, you can open your eyes. It won't hurt." Isamu said softly.

After a long moment, All Might visibly relaxed, clouded eyes slowly opening.

"Can you understand me? Or.. or talk today?" Isamu asked, leaning slightly forward and dipping his head to see behind All Might's bangs.

The silence was deafening.

Isamu laughed awkwardly, the sound quiet even in the silence, "Was it something I said?" Then his shoulders sagged and he fidgeted with the convenience store plastic bag.

"I brought some food from outside the hospital again. I know Tetsumi said I shouldn't but…" Isamu shrugged, "Doesn't really matter. You shouldn't be on a liquid diet anyway."

He split the food, carefully pulling All Might's hand out and placing a pork bun on his palm. He pressed All Might's claws closed over it and waited. It took a moment, but All Might finally lifted the bun and nibbled at it.

Isamu sighed in relief, "There we go."

Isamu made quick work of his own lunch; he had been hungrier than he thought. He smiled when he noticed All Might finished the bun.

"Here, let me get this for you," he said while cracking open the can of tea. He placed it in front of All Might and guided his hand to the can.

"I got the usual. I hope that's alright."

Isamu relaxed against the wall when All Might started to drink. He was grateful he didn't have to force feed him. There had been others that - He closed his eyes and pushed the frightful memories away with a shake of his head. All Might wasn't like the others.

 _Crunch._

Isamu jumped and looked over to All Might. His brows rose in shock, "No, no no! You can't eat that! Get that out-!" He reached for the half-eaten can, and All Might's hackles rose. A low growl came from his chest, and Isamu backed off.

"Okay, okay. It's alright. You can have it." Isamu watched in mild horror as the rest of the can disappeared, bit by bit. "I really hope that Devour quirk works on aluminum…"

Isamu turned and hugged his knees, nibbling at his taiyaki and staring at the door across the room. The dark and quiet was surprisingly peaceful, and soon his eyelids drifted shut. A weight leaned against his shoulder, and Isamu blinked. All Might had moved closer, mirroring Isamu's posture. His eyes were glazed over and sightless as he watched the door. As Isamu watched, All Might's head bobbed slightly and his eyelids fluttered.

Isamu shook his head and nudged All Might's shoulder with his own.

"You can sleep, you know," Isamu said with a tired smile.

All Might frowned in confusion, shaking his head ever so slightly. He shifted, his tail wrapping protectively in front Isamu.

The nurse stifled a laugh.

"It's alright," Isamu said, nudging the thick tail away. An idea came to him. It was silly, but worth a shot, "I'll take first watch while you sleep. I'll wake you if I think danger is nearby. How about that?"

For a moment, All Might didn't move. Then, slowly, he nodded and lowered himself to the ground, back to the wall and facing the door. With his arm pillowing his head, it didn't take long for All Might's breathing to even out and slow.

"At least one of us can rest today," Isamu mumbled, watching All Might's chest rise and fall beneath the hospital gown. He bowed his head, biting his lip, and rubbed his hands together. The brushing noise was loud in the silence.

"I know you're still in there. I know it. You have to be." Isamu forced a smile, "I don't mind if you take your time, but come back soon? Okay?"

Isamu's smile twisted and his breath caught painfully in his chest. His throat constricted, and he pressed his hand hard against his mouth as a choked, gasping sob escaped him. Tears streamed down his cheeks and seeped between his fingers. He tasted salt.

"Wh..what'd I s-say about crying, m'boy?"

Isamu's sobbing cut short. His eyes widened as he looked down.

All Might lay still, but his brows were furrowed in sleep. His tail twitched, the fluffy tip falling against Isamu's foot and snaked loosely around his ankle.

A small smile grew behind Isamu's hand and a watery laugh bubble up from his chest.

"Saving people even in your sleep," Isamu hiccuped, wiping the tears from his face with his sleeve, "You really are the Number One, All Might."

 _I wish I could -_

Isamu's watched beeped softly, and he sighed, resigned. Slowly, he pulled All Might's tail from around his ankle and stood.

"I'll be back," Isamu quietly promised, setting All Might's taiyaki on a napkin by his head, "Get some rest and … wake up soon, All Might."

* * *

The rest of the day went by smoothly. Isamu made his rounds without incident, though he was certain he spotted Nurse Tetsumi speaking with another nurse and pointing him out.

 _Don't be paranoid._ Isamu scolded himself, refocusing on the young, female patient who was in the middle of a rambling, drug-induced story. She soon nodded off again. He tucked her in and moved on to his other patients.

A hand landed roughly on Isamu's shoulder, and he spun around, heart racing.

His coworker blinked owlishly at him, his smile going lopsided with confusion.

"Oh!" Isamu absently patted at his chest, "Hey there, Ken. You, uh, startled me a bit."

Ken Sarubami was a big, broad man with arms like a gorilla. Just looking at him, one would never assume he worked with kids, but the child patients adored him.

He smiled wide, showing off his long fangs.

"A bit too much coffee this morning?" Ken laughed at his own question, patting Isamu's shoulder and nearly crushing the smaller man, "The guys and I are going out to grab some drinks after our shift. You want to join us? You've been looking a little glum and we thought you could use a break."

Ken's booming voice attracted glances from patients and a few nurses.

Isamu shifted nervously under their gazes.

"Sorry," he said with a cautious smile, "Not this time, I'm afraid. Could I get a rain check?"

Ken's grin faded, growing into a concerned frown. He bent, raising his hand to the side of his mouth as he spoke in a lowered voice, "Do you need any help? You seem really stressed."

Isamu paled, and dread coiled in his gut.

 _Help? Help with what exactly?_

Surely, Ken couldn't mean… He was always so friendly, great with kids, and always patient. Isamu considered Ken a friend. Then again, he had considered Ayumi a friend too.

"I'm, um, I'm fine," Isamu backed up a little, smiling apologetically. "I've just been tired. Staying up too late. My fault, really. Thanks for the offer though."

Ken nodded, crossing his massive arms and obviously unconvinced, but he smiled regardless, "Gotcha. Just don't overwork yourself. You won't be young forever." He turned to leave, flashing a quick grin, "I'll hold you to that rain check. Just let me know when and where!"

"S-sure," Isamu called after him despite his suspicion. "Thanks."

Isamu let his hand fall and he glanced around. At least three other nurses were looking his way, gazes lingering a moment before turning away.

Isamu bowed his head and quickly busied himself with his last patient. If his hands shook, he could blame his fatigue.

 _Sorry, Ken. I can't trust you. I don't think I can…_

 _I can't trust anyone._

* * *

Clouds hung low and heavy with rain in the sky as Isamu walked to the old wings of the hospital.

"Oppressive weather," he mumbled, glancing up. A drop splashed against his forehead and Isamu wrinkled his nose at its chill. He ducked into the basement hall, cursing when the cold wind blew leaves through the open door.

Isamu huffed irritably, setting his bag of take-out aside and sweeping the loose leaves into a small pile. They scratched and crunched in his arms as he carefully pushed the door back open. He dumped the pile of leaves outside, frantically keeping anymore from blowing in with his leg. With a sigh, he pulled the door shut.

The dry, scratching noise hadn't stopped.

Isamu twisted, eyes fixing on the fifth door on the right. He scooped up the bag and quickly made his way down the hall. The scratching noise grew louder as Isamu neared the room.

"All Might?" Isamu called gently as he knocked on the door. "I'm coming in."

Cautiously, he unlocked and opened the door.

The room was still dark, barely lit by diffused gray light of the door down the hall and the emergency lights inside. Across the room, All Might stilled, his shadow hunched low and close to the wall. Two spots of light glanced at Isamu before turning away again.

The scratching resumed.

Isamu sighed, and his shoulders sagged.

"You can't keep tearing at the wall," Isamu muttered, crossing the room. He set the bag of take-out on the floor by the IV pole and grabbed the broom from the corner. Stepping carefully over All Might's tail, Isamu swept the debris away.

All Might managed to claw away the tile and drywall around the other of the two bases, exposing the screws anchored deep into the cement. An impressive but ultimately useless feat.

Isamu knelt beside All Might, carefully pulling his hands away from the wall and examined them. "Look at this… You pulled out your IV," he muttered softly.

Then Isamu gently brushed the dulled tips of the claws. His frown deepened when he felt something warm and damp. All Might flinched. He'd filed the claws down to the quick, "You're not going to have fingers left if you keep doing this."

At least the healing quirk worked quickly. All Might shuddered, eyes half-lidded, and pulled his hands to his chest as his claws reformed.

Isamu took advantage of the time All Might would be still and grabbed the take-out, "Here, I brought something hardy. Nothing too fancy, but it's got beef."

All Might huffed and nudged the offered bento box away. He reached up to the wall again and pulled at the metal base.

Isamu frowned, "No, you _have_ to stop. You're going to hurt yourself."

All Might shook his head, brows furrowing and baring his teeth in a pained expression. He pulled harder, bracing his legs against the wall.

"Hey," Isamu gripped at All Might's wrist, "Come on, you need to let go. I know you want out but -"

All Might's tail slammed into Isamu's stomach, knocked the air from his lungs, and pushed him to the ground. Isamu coughed and gasped, eyes wide in surprise. He rolled, gripping his stomach. Tears pricked at his eyes as he caught his breath.

A loud, frustrated roar chilled the blood in Isamu's veins. Slowly, he twisted and sat up.

"A-All Might?" Isamu stared.

All Might's back arched as he pulled at the base. An animalistic moan rumbled from his throat. Isamu's breath caught as he saw a dark trail of liquid drip from his hands and down his arms. His claws slipped and All Might collapsed, sliding across the floor, his chains crashing against the tile loudly. The tattered hospital gown came loose and fell away.

"All M-!" Isamu flinched as All Might groaned.

All Might rolled and sat up. He gagged, shoulders heaving, and blood dripped onto the ground. Slowly, he rose on shaky arms and legs and paced.

Isamu's brows furrowed sadly as he watched All Might pace on all fours, his eyes staring sightless. His tail dragged along the tile, only occasionally raising as he reared up on his back legs. He managed to make a few unsteady steps before falling forward onto his arms again, panting.

Isamu bowed his head.

"I can't." He shook his head and clasped his hands in his lap. A tear dripped onto the back of his hand and he roughly scrubbed at it. "I can't _do this_ anymore… I just _can't_. I can't _help you._ I can't _do anything._ "

Isamu's shoulders shook under the force of his silent sobs, " _Pathetic_. I'm so _fucking_ tired. I'm going to _die_ like this."

His breath hitched when a weight landed softly on his head, slowly ruffling his hair. He didn't need to look up.

Isamu hunched forward and gripped his shaking shoulders, "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

"…'m… 're…"

"W-what…?" Isamu's head shot up.

All Might's eyes were pained and fading again, but far clearer than they had been in _days._

As Isamu stared, All Might shuddered and backed away. With a groan, his eyes clouded and he lowered himself to the floor, his energy spent.

"Wait…" Isamu scrambled forward, lifting and patting the back of All Might's hand, "Wait, don't go. You were doing so good. Come on, stay awake. Stay…"

All Might's breathing was even and slow.

Isamu slowly laid his hand back down.

" _Screw_ this," he suddenly stood and strode to the door, "All Might… I think I'm going to do something really stupid…"

* * *

The phone rang twice.

"Koharu Sato. Who's this?" Isamu's mother answered on the other line.

"Hi Mom," Isamu greeted, his smile growing as his mother yelped with delight.

"Oh Isamu~!" Koharu's voice rang out happily, "Honey! Honey! Isamu is on the phone! Hon- Oh! I forgot, your father went to pick up groceries. I'll have him call you back later."

Isamu laughed lightly as he passed another aisle.

"So, how _are_ you?" his mother asked, excitement bubbling in her voice, "You haven't called in a while. Your poor mother misses you! And so does your father, though he probably wouldn't admit it. You know how he is."

Isamu laughed and shook his head, "I'm alright, Mom. Work has been keeping me pretty busy. The weeks have just flown by," he brushed the back of his neck, fingertips tracing around the base of his short spikes. His steps slowed. "Tell me about you. I called to hear how you and Dad are doing."

"Oh, we're not up to much," his mother laughed. It sounded like bells and Isamu's smile widened. "It snowed here the other day. Just a dusting and it melted by midday but, oh, it was lovely."

Isamu smiled softly as he listened to his mother go from one topic to the next: his father's work, their dog, a new hero in their neighborhood watch, her plans to garden in the spring, then she paused.

"Isamu, is something wrong?"

Isamu jolted, nearly dropping the phone. He forced a grin and laughed.

"Everything's fine! Do I sound strange?"

"Hmm," his mother sounded concerned.

Isamu swallowed.

"Did you catch a cold? What about rest?" Isamu's mother clicked her tongue, "Your spikes haven't shed early, have they? You always catch a cold if they shed too so-"

" _Mom!_ " Isamu blushed, glancing around the store aisle though there was no one close enough to overhear, "I'm fine. My spikes are fine."

"Alright, alright. No need to be so defensive," he could hear the pout in his mother's voice, "Honestly, you and your father are so particular about your spikes."

Isamu huffed and laughed.

"Love you, Mom," he said, "Tell Dad I love him too."

"Love you too, sweetheart," his mother cheerily, "Are you going to visit soon?"

Isamu's smile slipped a little, "I'll try to get away from work. Sorry, I can't make any promises though."

"Remember it's okay to take time for yourself, alright?"

"Yes, Mom," Isamu said. He stopped. He found what he was looking for, "I've got to go. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay. Love you, Isamu."

"Love you," Isamu ended the call. With a shaky sigh, he stuffed his phone in his pocket.

Isamu reached out and unhooked the tool from the wall. He gave the bolt cutters an experimental snip, gripping the rubbery handles until his hands grew still.

 _Okay._

* * *

Cold.

Toshinori shivered and curled in on himself.

He knew this place, this bed of ash and snow. There was no warmth left to protect him. Seven flames burned brightly, but he pulled away from them. They were _wrong._

 _Unwelcome._

Snow piled on his weakened body, and the world around him trembled.

He felt numb. Even with his eyes squeezed shut, he saw the snow, blindingly white and burning. The flakes danced in front of his eyes and stung his skin.

Something itched at the back of his mind - a thought, no, a color. Green.

 _Who?_

 _Someone… important._

 _Midoriya!_

 _My boy!_

Toshinori jerked awake. He gasped for air, his breath ragged and too loud. Heart hammering, he frantically looked around.

The room was as he remembered it… mostly.

Toshinori furrowed his brows when he spotted the wall around the chains' bases. Deep, darkly stained gouges marred the solid concrete. He ran a clawed hand over the marks.

"Di- ?" Toshinori cringed and rubbed his throat. It _hurt_.

A chill danced across his skin and Toshinori realized his hospital gown was gone, as were the majority of his pant legs. He frowned at the change.

 _How long since -?_

SLAM!

Toshinori jolted, hackles bristling and tail smacking against the floor in surprise.

"Easy! Easy! It's just me," Isamu held up his hands, "It's just…" The nurse's eyes widened in shock, "Y-you're awake! You're actually awake!"

Isamu ran a hand through his hair and laughed. He rushed across the room and dropped a gym bag to the floor. It hit the ground with a metallic thunk.

"Th-this is fantastic. I wasn't sure - I didn't have a plan for …" Isamu unzipped the bag and rummaged through it, "But that doesn't matter. You're awake." He suddenly looked up, "Can you talk today?"

Toshinori blinked owlishly at Isamu, surprised by his erratic behavior but he shook his head, rubbing his throat.

"Okay, but you can understand me?" Isamu's gaze was piercing and hopeful.

Toshinori shook the surprise off and grinned wide, throwing up a thumbs up.

"Good." Isamu pulled out a pair of bolt cutters and tossed the bag to the side, "We're leaving."

Toshinori gaped at the bolt cutters, looking between them and Isamu's flushed face. Then he grabbed the first chain and held it taut between his hands. He nodded at Isamu.

 _Go._

The bolt cutters clamped around the first link, and Isamu's whole body shuddered. Toshinori could almost hear the young man's heart pounding.

"Is… Is this what it feels like?" Isamu asked, his hands slowly growing steady, "When you save people?"

Toshinori grinned wide.

Isamu laughed nervously, "I see why you do it." And the first chain split in two with a metallic crunch.

Toshinori tossed the chain aside and picked up the next.

 _One down, four to go._

Isamu strained, gritting his teeth.

"Come on!" he grunted and the second chain split.

 _Three_.

Toshinori jolted and turned slightly, hooking his elbow around his tail and pulling at the chain there.

Isamu clamped the bolt cutters on the link closest to the tail. The cutters briefly slipped, and Toshinori tensed.

 _Maybe further down…_ he lifted his tail higher, and Isamu adjusted the bolt cutters.

"Sorry," Isamu muttered then pressed at the handles. The chain groaned and finally gave way with a _snap!_

 _Two._

Toshinori's heart pounded in his chest, and he couldn't be bothered by the way his tail thumped happily against the ground as he grabbed the second-to-last chain.

"Almost there, almost there," Isamu mumbled as he lined up the bolt cutter. Sweat was breaking out on his forehead and his breath puffed out, "Jeez, there are no weak links are there?"

Toshinori chuckled, pride blooming in his chest.

 _You're doing great._

The link broke.

 _One._

A shadow caught Toshinori's eye, and his blood ran cold.

His legs tensed to lunge forward, to pull Isamu out of the way.

Too late.

Isamu slammed into the wall by the door. The bolt cutters slipped from his hands and clattered across the floor, out of Toshinori's reach.

 _NO!_ A wordless yell tore from Toshinori's chest as his claws dug into the floor. He leapt forward -

The shackle on his right wrist snagged and yanked his arm back. His shoulder dislocated with a loud _pop_ and Toshinori fell in a pile of twisted limbs.

 _No no no no no no no -_

Toshinori scrambled up and turned.

"Isa-!"

 ** _Shhk._**

Isamu's eyes went wide -

 _No… Don't look down, young man. Don't look._

\- and he looked down.

A long, twisted bone pierced through Isamu's shirt just below the left side of his ribcage.

Isamu looked back at Toshinori.

"A-All Migh-," his eyes widened, and his face paled. He seized and gagged. Blood dribbled out the side of his mouth. He brushed his lips with trembling fingers and stared down at them. Tears welled in his eyes.

Toshinori's heart dropped.

"There." All for One sneered darkly, anger boiling below the surface. He lowered his hand splattered in red specks, "Now you match."

Isamu gripped the bone, his face twisted in pain and fear.

"When I said to take that lesson to heart, I meant it, nurse _._ _This_ is the reward for foolish heroics," All for One made a show of wiping his hands on a handkerchief and turned to Toshinori, "And _you…_ "

Toshinori ignored the man and reached out towards Isamu, his shoulder popping back in place as the healing quirk took effect.

 _I'm here. I'm awake. Just look at me!_ His claws slipped and scraped against the floor.

"How unsightly," All for One hissed, "You are _still_ struggling? What else -"

"L-leave All Might…" Isamu groaned in pain and shuddered, his breath hitching.

All for One paused and considered Isamu for a moment, "Of course. I was too lenient."

The masked villain grabbed the bone spear, twisting it slowly, "I left you alone with the barest glimmer of hope, a naive child's kindness. Temporary allowances I accounted for. I had expected Tetsumi to teach this runt…" He gestured at the broken chains with disgust, "She failed."

Toshinori snarled, "St -" _Stop!_

All for One pulled at the bone spear and Isamu let out a broken, pained shout, desperately holding onto the spear slick with his blood and trying to keep it still. The dark red stain bubbled and spread.

"I thought perhaps fear would turn to loyalty given time. I overestimated his cowardice…" All for One canted his head, and his grip on the spear tightened.

"It's time to extinguish that hope."

The villain yanked the bone spear from Isamu's side.

It came away red.

Isamu grunted, arms falling to his sides, and slowly slid down the wall.

All for One tossed the bone spear away and bent toward Isamu.

Toshinori growled and swiped at All for One's feet, unable to reach.

 _Young man! No! Don't touch him!_

All for One grabbed Isamu's shirt, lifted him up, and pressed his palm against the wound. Isamu's mouth opened in a silent protest, and his eyes rolled back with a pained shiver. All for One withdrew his hand and dropped him.

"No more coddling," All for One towered over Toshinori's crouched form, "I'll take my healing quirk back, Noumu." He bent and reached out.

Toshinori ducked away from All for One's hand. The chains groaned and shackle bit into his skin, drawing blood. Toshinori dug his back claws into the tile and stretched his arm further, reaching out toward Isamu.

"ENOUGH."

Toshinori shuddered as the fog crashed against his consciousness. He blinked, dazed and lightheaded, and grunted as All for One grabbed his jaw.

"My patience is spent," All for One struck Toshinori's side, where he had all those years ago.

Toshinori's vision flashed white, and he coughed into the hand on his face, tasting blood. The grip tightened.

Dots spun in Toshinori's eyes as he clung to consciousness. He shuddered as he felt something slip away like a sigh. A flame went out in his chest and left a gaping void.

He knew this feeling.

Toshinori's focus snapped back into place and he yelled against the unyielding grip. He clawed at All for One's arms as he was forced onto his knees. His claws sliced into the villain's skin, and blood ran down from the gashes.

Toshinori realized his mistake too late.

Blood seeped through All for One's grip and into Toshinori's mouth. He choked and gagged.

Without a word, All for One shoved Toshinori aside.

Toshinori grit his teeth, _What's one more! I'm not done!_

He shot back up and lunged toward Isamu.

Toshinori strained, reaching. His claws were _so close_. They just grazed against the side of Isamu's shoe. The smell of rust grew stronger. Toshinori's chest burned.

 _Come on. Look at me, young man. Stay with me. It's alright. I'm here. I'm here._

Isamu pressed weakly against the wound, his stained fingers trembling. The light in his eyes dulled. His breathing stuttered.

All for One stood to the side and watched.

Warmth seeped beneath Toshinori's claws. He yelped as he slipped.

Blood.

Toshinori scrambled off the floor. Iron, rust, copper, _blood_ , the scent was overwhelming. It stuck to his skin. His efforts slowed as he gasped for breath.

"He's right there," All for One taunted, gesturing to Isamu, "Can't you reach?"

A low whine escaped from Toshinori's lips unbidden. He reached, stretching, pulling against the chain.

 _Nearly..._

"You're here, aren't you?" All for One's voice was low. "He will die and you will have done nothing."

Toshinori barely hooked his claw against the rubber sole of Isamu's shoe.

It slipped. Toshinori loosed a frustrated, mournful roar, and -

Something snapped.

His arm fell.

His vision blurred.

 _Wh- ? I… ?_ His breath was ragged, but his body slowly relaxed.

A weight brushed over the top of T-shinori's head.

" _There._ That's it, Noumu," said a voice above.

His hackles rose, but he stilled under the weight of the hand and the voice.

 _Where -?_

The voice above hummed, "I will need to dispose of this body. Perhaps I'll make that your first task."

T-ino-i's chest _burned_. He swallowed.

He shuddered, shoulders sagging and head bowing.

" _Good_ ," the voice was pleased, smug.

-no-'s head felt odd. Fuzzy.

Footsteps faded.

A door closed.

* * *

He sat.

He waited.

The door opened.

He glanced up.

"Damn you, you _stupid_ boy," the woman in the doorway spat.

 _Click!_

Pain split through his skull, and he flinched away, claws scrabbling against the tile and eyes squeezing shut.

"And _damn you_ ," the woman's voice seethed. She struck his side.

He blindly swiped the air. Something cold caught and held his wrist still.

"No!" her voice was loud and angry, "No! _Damn you!_ Damn you for putting your ideals in the poor boy's head. This is _your_ fault!"

Something stirred at the back of his mind.

He frowned.

His ears perked at the sound of something dragging.

Someone moaned in pain.

No. Wrong. Very wrong.

He crouched down and twisted, tail striking outward and hitting its mark. Something crumpled to the ground.

T-shi-ri panted, staring wide-eyed at the tiles between his hands despite the blinding light.

 _I'm… Yagi… Toshinori Yagi._ Toshinori shuddered and gagged. Nausea made his mouth water, and he spat. _I'm not… I'm not …_

He shook, sick with the sudden, overwhelming sense of _self_.

There was a moan.

Toshinori spun, stinging eyes fixing on the dark smudge on the floor and the figure lying beside it.

 _Isamu…_

A mournful sound reverberated in his throat. His shackle bit into his wrist and his tail slumped. Toshinori couldn't reach. He couldn't -

It clicked. Toshinori whirled around. His hackles bristled excitedly and his long tail swung back and forth. He had a _tail._

 _Hold on, young man._ Toshinori squinted against the blinding light, searching for - _There!_

The bolt cutters were well beyond his arms' reach, but his tail?

 _Sloppy, All for One._

Toshinori shuffled around, brows furrowed in concentration. His tail swept across the floor slowly. It bumped against the metal and rubber of the handles.

 _Ah! Come here_ , Toshinori curled his tail inward, dragging the bolt cutters close. Once they were in arms reach, he pounced on them and clumsily clamped the blades on the last chain.

The link broke with a resounding _snap!_

The chain fell away and clattered onto the floor.

Toshinori's hands trembled, and he dropped the bolt cutters.

He let out a shaky breath.

Then he leapt into action.

With a quick slap, he turned off the light. He blinked as his vision returned and he crouched beside Isamu.

"Y-" _Damn throat!_ Toshinori grit his teeth and shook off his frustration.

He put his ear to Isamu's chest. A brief flash of relief filled him when he heard the telltale beat of the nurse's heart and the sound of his breathing. No whistling. His lung hadn't been pierced.

 _Good._

Toshinori scrambled to the stocked counter, leaping over Tetsumi's unconscious form. He only spared her a glance. There was a bruise at her temple and her bun had come undone. She would have a nasty headache, but she would live.

Toshinori dug through the bottom cabinets and found nothing useful. He reared up, balancing with his tail held out. Rifling through the upper cabinets, he found gauze and bandages. There wasn't much, but they would have to do.

He returned to Isamu's side, gently tore away his shirt, and pressed a folded wad of gauze to the wound.

Isamu hissed and whined in pain, eyes shut tight and sweat beading on his brow.

 _You'll be alright._ Toshinori kept the pressure on the wound in front and gently rolled him. Blood seeped from his back and Toshinori pressed another wad of gauze to the exit wound. His tail patted against Isamu's shoulder.

 _Come on. I need you conscious._ Worry creased Toshinori's forehead.

Isamu only winced.

Toshinori frowned and returned his attention to the wounds. The bleeding slowed. He quickly replaced the old gauze with fresh gauze and wrapped bandages tightly around Isamu's waist.

 _That'll have to do…_ Toshinori grimaced at the hasty work. He picked up and squeezed Isamu's hand. _I'm not leaving you here._

Toshinori steadied himself in a crouch and gently lifted Isamu to sit and lean against his chest. A broken cry slipped from Isamu.

"S-shhh," Toshinori adjusted his grip, " 'm … h-h're."

Isamu quieted.

Toshinori turned and pulled Isamu's arm over his shoulder.

 _I apologize in advance_ , Toshinori shifted and hoisted Isamu onto his back.

"Ah!" Isamu cried out, his voice devolving to a whimper.

Toshinori furrowed his brows. He pulled Isamu's arms around his neck, tying his wrists together with excess bandages, and supported one of his legs with a hand. Once secure, he pushed himself to stand. His back legs shook under Isamu's added weight and he lowered his free hand to the ground.

Toshinori took a readying breath, glancing over his shoulder to Isamu. He was quiet, and his face twisted in a grimace. Toshinori could feel his pained breathing and steady heartbeat on his back.

 _Stay strong. We're leaving._

Toshinori poked his head out into the hall. It was cold and unlit, and dust gathered in the untouched corners. He had been right. He was in an unused wing. He looked left and his brows rose in shock. An exit sign glowed dully above the double doors at the end of the hall.

 _Was it really so close all this time?_

A moan behind him made Toshinori jump in surprise.

Nurse Tetsumi was waking.

Toshinori was suddenly _very_ aware of the metal shackles and broken chains attached to his limbs.

 _Shit!_ His claws scraped against the tile floor as he leapt into the hall.

Toshinori turned, tail clumsily slamming into the opposite wall, and pulled the door shut. He locked the deadbolt with a twist of his wrist and left the room behind.

He ran, his gait uneven but quick. Rearing up, he threw the double door open and stumbled outside. Sunlight blinded him. The cold air bit into his bare, damp skin and seized his lung in an icy grip.

Toshinori shivered and grinned.

Adrenaline and emotion rushed through his veins as he leapt up the stairs, chains clattering loudly as they dragged behind him. He squinted against the light and ran along the road parallel to the old wing. He looked around.

 _Landmark… landmark… landmark… There!_

A large sign sat on the corner. "Rishi General Hospital Parking" the sign read in bold lettering.

Toshinori's heart hammered in his chest, and his tail thumped the ground.

He knew where he was.

U.A. wasn't far away.

Toshinori tensed as Isamu groaned. Urgency coiled in his gut, his heart pumping more adrenaline through him.

 _Hold on._ Toshinori took one last look at the hospital and bolted away.

* * *

 _West, four blocks. North, seven blocks._ Toshinori mentally recited, loping down another street. He paused, squinting at the squat buildings and baring his teeth in frustration, _Or eight blocks? Where?_

He shook his head. The midmorning sun sent a steady ache burrowing into his skull. Street and shop names blurred in the light. He reared up beside a street corner sign, carefully supporting Isamu, and he peered at the names.

Someone screamed.

The sound grated harshly against Toshinori's growing migraine, and he fell back on all fours, stumbling away from the noise. He slipped off the curb and roughly dropped onto his side.

 _Shit!_ Toshinori pushed himself up, wincing at the new scrapes stinging his cold skin.

Isamu's arms jerked around Toshinori's neck.

Toshinori looked back, dread coiling in his gut. Even in the blinding light he could see the red seeping through Isamu's bandages.

Toshinori's ears perked. Footsteps came closer from around the corner.

His hackles rose, and he turned toward them.

"Oh shit! Is that guy bleeding?!" exclaimed a masculine voice.

"Don't get too close! The other one looks dangerous," the woman who'd screamed ducked behind her friend.

More footsteps approached. Silhouettes blending together, Toshinori couldn't see how many surrounded him.

Toshinori shifted uneasily and furrowed his brows, _I'm not dangerou-_

"Oh my god! He's covered in blood!"

"Is it one of those things that attacked Hosu?"

 _Hosu? No! I'm not a Nou-_ Toshinori shuddered, and the fog stirred at the thought of that damned word. _I'm not trapped there anymore! So why?_ He shook his head, growling in frustration.

"Someone call a hero and the police!"

"It's going to attack!"

Some of those in the group backed away, and a couple fled altogether.

Toshinori stilled, distraught. They were scared…

Isamu shivered, and Toshinori swallowed his shame.

 _No time._

Toshinori took a step back, carefully shifting Isamu more securely on his back. Then he bolted across the street and down an alley.

He wracked his brain and tried to push away the growing fog and migraine.

 _North… five more blocks then… west a while. Not far… not far now._

Toshinori rounded a corner into a shopping district and kept running. He cringed at a shriek and the commotion that followed. His chains crashed loudly against the asphalt, and he couldn't suppress the loud growl in his chest.

 _Where is the damn turn? Where -?_

"What is that thing?!"

"Are those chains?!"

"Somebody help!"

Toshinori crashed against someone, stumbling. His tail swung wide and slammed against the ground. He reared up, towering over the people in the crowded street. They scattered with panicked screams.

"Where's Kamui Woods when you need him?!"

Isamu groaned, breath suddenly growing shallow.

Toshinori frantically looked around. His mind raced, his nerves shot.

 _No time. No time. Where -?_ He panted, breath clouding in the cold air.

 _There!_ The edge of a familiar roof was just visible behind a short shop. It belonged to a staff building on the edge of the U.A. campus. There was a faculty gate…

Toshinori dropped to all fours and ran. He weaved around panicked shoppers and ducked around a corner.

 _Only a few blocks. Hold on_. _I'll get you somewhere safe, young man. We're almost there._ His chest burned and his scar ached, but Toshinori pushed on, picking up speed as he turned the last corner.

The eastern faculty gate was closed, but there was a keypad just to the right of the opening. Toshinori stumbled to a stop, reared up, and clumsily pawed at the cover. With an irritated growl, he tore the cover from the wall and flung it away. The touch screen lit up and he tapped in his pass-

 _Shit… Shit!_

His claws tapped uselessly against the screen. He swung his tail in anger. The fog coiled around his panic.

Isamu tensed and went limp.

Toshinori froze. He took a deep breath and pressed his feverish forehead against the cold gate. An idea occurred to him. He tapped his knuckle on the screen. It lit back up.

 _Ha!_ He quickly typed in his password. The keypad beeped cheerily, and the faculty gate door slid away.

Toshinori rushed inside and released a sigh as he heard the gate shut behind him. Putting some distance between himself and the gate, he ran toward the main building.

The familiar surroundings brought a calm, tired smile to his face. His pulse slowed, adrenaline fading. He slowed, legs shaking and eyes aching. He adjusted his hold on Isamu, briefly checking on his breathing. It was shallow but still steady.

It was the growing red stain that worried him.

 _Recovery Girl will kno -!_

Something snagged Toshinori's foot and violently yanked it from under him. He fell, crying out as he felt Isamu tumble off his back and roll away. Toshinori's tail thrashed, and he reached out to grab him.

More bindings whipped through the air, wrapping themselves around his arm and pulling it behind him.

Isamu was beyond his reach.

 _Not again!_

A mournful keen tore from his throat, eyes fixed on the young nurse. Claws digging in the turf, he struggled against the bindings dragging him backwards. He turned and glared at the blurred silhouette of his attacker, hackles bristling and snarling loudly.

Toshinori kicked at the bindings, wrapping his tail around them and roughly tugging them forward. The attacker stumbled, and Toshinori got his legs underneath himself. He lunged toward Isamu.

 _Shit!_ His back legs and tail snapped together, suddenly bound. Toshinori crashed to the ground, his breath knocked out of him.

Bindings ensnared his wrists and pulled tight.

Toshinori rolled on his side, struggling against the unyielding hold.

"Midoriya! Stay back!"

Toshinori froze.

Red sneakers skid to a stop beside Toshinori. Shaking hands reached out over his scar and his head. A green mop of hair blocked the sun, shading Toshinori's eyes.

"What are you doing to All Might!" Izuku Midoriya cried out, voice cracking.

Then he turned to Toshinori with tears in his eyes, smiling. One for All flared across his skin, and he tore at the bindings.

"It's alright. It's alright," he whispered, voice growing stronger and more confident with each repetition, "All Might. You're here! You're alright!"

Izuku freed Toshinori's arms -

"Midoriya! Watch out!"

\- and Toshinori threw his arms around his student. He buried his face in Izuku's shoulder, savouring the dark and the warmth.

Izuku pulled Toshinori up, holding him tight. Tears dripped onto Toshinori's back as Izuku's breathing turned to sobs.

Toshinori laughed softly and carded his claws through Izuku's hair, gently giving the boy another squeeze before pulling away.

"He-" Toshinori cringed and settled for pointing toward Isamu. _Help. He needs help._

Izuku tensed - _Smart boy. -_ and turned.

"Aizawa-sensei!"

"I've got him," Aizawa said seriously, already releasing the bindings and rushing to Isamu's side.

Toshinori shuddered in relief as Aizawa gently lifted Isamu.

 _Good,_ he relaxed. _You're safe. We made it._

His vision blurred and he fell to the side, barely catching himself with an outstretched arm.

"All Might!" Izuku wrapped a supporting arm around Toshinori's shoulder.

Toshinori panted as his fatigue caught up with him. _Just- just give me..._

"Midoriya, help him up and follow me." Aizawa ordered briskly, turning toward the main building.

"It's okay, All Might," Izuku wrapped Toshinori's arm over his shoulders, "Let me help you. We'll get you both to Recovery Girl, okay?"

Toshinori shivered, too tired to argue and not wanting to.

 _Okay, my boy._

 _Okay._

* * *

Thank you for reading! "Canvas" is complete. The sequel is Catalyst which is now complete. Followed by Control.

Send me a review or PM if you have any questions or comments.


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